His Guiding Light
by WeasleyGirl-ca
Summary: The war tore the Weasley family apart. But when someone very precious to Percy is left in Ron’s care, everything changes. RHr. Dad!Ron. Drama, Angst and Romance. Novella.
1. The Promise

With a dash of angst, drama and fluff, add some Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys, a pinch of chess, a cup of R/Hr and lots of Ron, I present a little novella.

Rated T for the occasional swearing.

**His Guiding Light**

**Chapter 1: The Promise**

Ron woke up from his potion-induced dreamless sleep to an owl pecking insistently at his left ear.

"Alright, you bloody bird, I'm up," he grumbled as he batted Pig away from his ear.

He sat up in his bed and rubbed at his abused earlobe. "Damn bird."

And then the memories came flooding forward like a lynch mob that finally got passed the barricades.

xxx

"_I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley, your boy, Charlie, he's…"_

_Ron heard his mom wail. He ran forward and caught her before she fainted._

"_He died honourably," continued the Ministry official._

xxx

"Ron, come on, get your arse out of bed. Kingsley expects us in by eight and I promised Ginny I'd go with her to King's Cross," hollered Harry from the twins' old room.

xxx

"_DAD!" screamed Ron as the ominous green light soared towards Arthur. Ron sprinted forward towards his dad. The older Weasley fell backward with a loud thump as the killing curse hit him._

xxx

"Give me a sec, will you? Besides, I'm not going to King's Cross with you lot."

xxx

"_Damn it, Percy, you can't…you can't give up now," said Ron gruffly as he held his dying brother in his arms. _

"_Y-you…forgive me, r-right?"_

"_Bloody hell, you know I do!"_

"_I-I need to hear it, Ron."_

"_I forgive you, Perce, but don't you fucking die on me."_

_Percy shook his head. "S'long as you forgive me, I'm all…tell Pe…"_

_His eyes fluttered shut._

"_No, damn it," yelled Ron, shaking his limp brother. "Don't you fucking dare!"_

xxx

"Fine, I'll see you at the head office, then," replied Harry through the walls.

Ron bit his lip. How was he going to break it to Harry?

xxx

"_The 'ealer say he will not wake up, Ron," said a teary-eyed Fleur as she sat by her husband's sickbed. "He say eet is unlikely that he will ever wake up."_

_Ron felt weak. He sank into an armchair in the hospital room and dropped his head into his hands as Fred, George and Ginny came barging in. This wasn't happening. It was all too much._

"_I don't believe 'im," Fleur said resolutely. "My Bill is stronger than that."_

xxx

Ron swung his legs over the side of his bed and rubbed his eyes. Ginny pushed passed his door.

"Some privacy would be nice," he said with a scowl.

"Listen Ron, if things get too much…I don't know, maybe I shouldn't go back…"

"Don't be stupid. Everything will be fine. Go to school, Gin. Everything's under control."

Ginny looked at him doubtfully. "All right, then," she said as she wrapped her arms around her brother tightly. "I'm going to say bye to mum.

Ron nodded mutely.

xxx

"_Mum, you've got to get out this room. It isn't healthy," coaxed Ron. "I've made you a nice breakfast. At least come down and eat with us." _

_Molly shook her head absently and patted Ron's hand. "Not now Perce, I'm just tired. Why don't you ask Charlie to help you?"_

_Ron's body tensed. Tears built in the corner of his eyes. "All right, I'll bring breakfast up here."_

"_Oh, that's not necessary; Arthur and I are going out for breakfast."_

_Ron backed out of the room, his whole body shaking before sinking to floor, his back pushed against the closed door._

xxx

Ron grabbed a towel and headed for the bathroom. "Come on mate, get out of there," he said as he knocked on the door. "She's seen you at your worst, don't need to doll yourself up for my sister."

Harry came out of the room, his hands buried in a towel that he was patting against his hair.

"All right, all right, take it."

"You're the one yelling at me to get out of bed."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'll meet you at the ministry at ten to eight, then?"

Ron shifted uncomfortably. "About that…"

"What?"

"I don't know, Harry. I don't know if I can get into Auror training just yet."

"What hell do you mean, you're already in, you prat."

"Not what I meant. It's just, with mum, well, I don't think I could take on something that…intensive right now…mum needs me."

Harry looked away. Ron knew Harry spent most of the summer blaming himself for the disintegration of the Weasley family.

xxx

"_THEY'RE GONE, RON! GONE!"_

"_I know, Hermione, I'm sorry," whispered Ron, holding onto her hands and trying to remain strong._

"_They had nothing to do with any of this…nothing…why'd they kill them?" She looked completely lost._

_Ron shook his head, knowing that nothing he said would make it right._

"_I've got to leave," she said as she pulled her hands away from his and turned her back to him._

"_W-what do you mean?"_

"_I've got to get away. I need time to…I need to go, Ron." He could hear the tears in her voice._

"_Where? How long?" he said, desperately._

"_I don't know. Away from here."_

"_Away from me?"_

"_Away from magic."_

_Ron's voice choked. "H-how will I reach you?"_

"_You won't."_

xxx

"Mum's sleeping," informed Ginny as she directed her trunk down the stairs with her wand.

Ron was in the kitchen making breakfast for his mum.

"Owl me," she said as she dropped the trunk in the middle of the living room and looked out the window for the cab.

Harry came into the kitchen and propped an elbow on the counter. "Come in for a bit Ron. See if Kingsley can make it more flexible for you."

Harry was on a vendetta. It's the only thing that kept him from falling apart completely. He was determined to get his hands on every remaining Death Eater—anything to avenge his surrogate family.

"Yeah, I'll try that," Ron replied, not sounding convinced.

"Harry, the cab's here," called Ginny from the next room.

"'k, coming. See you later mate."

Ron nodded. "Have a good trip," he hollered to Ginny.

xxx

Ron sat cross-legged on the couch in the living room with the Daily Prophet's classifieds spread out on his lap. He had to find a less time consuming job until his mother got better.

Fred and George had their hands full with the shops.

Ginny had just left for school.

Bill had been in a coma for two months now.

Hermione was nowhere to be found.

And Harry was on a vendetta.

Ron had to put his own pained feelings and ambitions aside if he was going to bring his mum back to health.

Ron was quietly immersed in the paper when the fire crackled loudly and a man's head appeared in the hearth.

"Mr. Weasley, good thing you're here," called the man.

Ron jerked his head up and stared at the man, not recognizing the young man, who looked about a couple of years older than Ron.

"Who are you?"

"With the Ministry. Some woman's been wailing for you in some muggle hospital."

"What?" said Ron, bewildered.

"I don't know. A nurse at the hospital recognized the name Weasley…she's married to a wizard. She contacted the ministry saying that a woman at the hospital was asking for a Mr. Weasley."

Ron shook his head at the absurdity. "Did you get her name?"

"Yeah," he paused and looked down at a clipboard in his hand. "Um, Clearwater."

"Penelope Clearwater?" asked Ron. Percy's old girlfriend?

"Yup, that's it." He pushed a piece of parchment through the flame. "Here's the hospital address."

Ron took the parchment and furrowed his brow. What would Penelope want with him? And why was she in a muggle hospital?

He raised his head to further question the ministry official but he'd already disappeared.

xxx

The muggle hospital buzzed with noises as people pushed passed him in the lobby.

Ron marched up to the front desk. "Um, uh, I'm looking for Penelope Clearwater."

"One moment," said the woman at the desk in a shrill voice.

"Room 346, next."

Ron looked behind him to see a stout man standing there, tapping his foot impatiently. "She said 'next'."

Ron grumbled something under his breath and headed for the elevator.

The hospital was like a maze. Ron wandered about the third floor, looking for room 346. He tapped a woman in a white coat on the shoulder. "You know where room 346 is?"

The woman broke into a relieved smile. "You must be Mr. Weasley, I'm Dr. Jekins." She put her hand out. Ron shook it awkwardly.

"How did you know my name?"

"You're here to see Penelope, right? She's the one in room 346. Thank God you're here. I was getting worried that you would never show. It's not looking good, Mr. Weasley. I'm deeply sorry. But maybe your presence will help even just the slightest."

Ron was so confused now. She hadn't come to Percy's funeral. Ron assumed that Percy and Penelope had broken it off at school. What would she want with Ron now? And he still didn't know what she was doing at the hospital.

"What's wrong with her?"

"Well, there seemed to be some unforeseen complications. I don't know who her regular doctor is. She hasn't been very cooperative. Maybe you know?"

Ron fell into stride with the woman who was now making her way down the white hallway.

"Complications to what?" he asked, exasperated.

The doctor looked at Ron quizzically. "The pregnancy, of course."

Ron came to an abrupt halt. "P-pregnancy?"

"Oh dear me, don't tell me you didn't know."

Ron's mind was working fast. Penelope was pregnant and insisting to see a Mr. Weasley. Ron's eyes grew wide and his heart started to pound loudly.

"What a pickle you two are in. This is what happens when young people get pregnant."

"S-she was asking for a P-Percy Weasley?"

"Well, yes, that's why you're here, Mr. Weasley. Now come along."

Ron's vision was blurring. He wiped his eyes roughly. Penelope was having a baby. She was having Percy's baby. He tried hard to concentrate on walking. Why was it taking so bloody long to get to her room?

"What do you mean by complications?" he asked, worriedly.

"It's hard to tell. She's extremely weak. Oh here we are."

Ron stepped into the room and quickly averted his eyes. Penelope was lying on her back with her legs held up in stirrups. A nurse stood between her legs.

Ron let his eyes fall on Penelope's face. She had her eyes shut tightly as the nurse examined her. "8 cm," declared the nurse.

She nodded towards Ron. "So you finally showed up, Mr. Weasley?"

Penelope's eyes flew open and she stared at Ron.

"We'll give you a moment alone. But make it quick. I'm not comfortable leaving this young lady alone for long."

The women ushered themselves out of the room and Ron sat awkwardly in a chair by her bedside.

"W-where's Perce?" She was panting heavily.

Ron looked away. How could she not know?

Suddenly she gasped and grabbed Ron's hand. She screamed before gritting her teeth as tears spilled down her cheeks. Ron was certain she had broken a few bones in his hand but he didn't care.

"Percy, where…where is he?" she pleaded through the contractions.

She glared at Ron as he tried to say something.

"Oh dear God," she said hoarsely before letting out an almighty scream.

The nurse and doctor came rushing in and bellowing at each other as Penelope fixed her eyes on Ron.

"Remember to breathe," said the nurse. "You're almost there."

"No," she moaned as she looked at Ron's devastated expression.

"Ok dear, you've got to push now, push!"

Penelope tightened her grip on Ron's hand and pushed with all her strength.

"But…he promised…he'd come for me…" she said through pushes.

"Again, push!"

Ron stayed with her throughout the whole delivery. Penelope pushed and screamed and cried and told Ron of the promise Percy had made.

And the whole time, Ron wanted to make her pain stop. He wanted to take her to St. Mungo's where they wouldn't have to worry about complications. And he wanted to bring Percy to her. He wanted it so badly it hurt more than his aching hand.

Finally, the room filled with a baby's cries.

Penelope fell into the pillows and loosened her grip on Ron's hand.

"It's a boy," declared the doctor.

Ron tried to look at the baby but he was whisked away before either mother or uncle could catch a glimpse.

"We'll clean him right up and bring him back," said the nurse.

The doctor came up to Penelope, looking very worried.

"Is s-something wrong w-with my b-baby?"

"No dear, nothing at all, he's perfectly healthy. It's you I'm worried about."

Ron felt his heart constrict.

"Give me a moment alone," she asked the doctor. The doctor sighed and nodded leaving Ron and Penelope alone in the birth suite.

"I'm taking you to St. Mungo's," said Ron as soon as the woman left.

"No, I'm too tired."

"No, Penelope, don't give up!" Ron seemed to be saying that a lot lately.

"I'm not giving up, Ron. It's my time."

"Bullshit! You're 23 bloody years old! I don't care what you say, we're going. I'm getting your baby and we're going, now."

Penelope grabbed his arm and stopped him from leaving. "You've got to promise…"

"I don't have to promise you anything because you're going to be fine!" He couldn't hold back the tears any longer.

She held onto his arm tightly.

"You've got to promise to take care of him, Ron. You've got to take care of my Davy."

"Davy?"

"Yes, David Percival Weasley."

"You haven't even seen him yet. Don't you want to fight? Don't you want to see him grow up?" he asked desperately.

"St. Mungo's can't do anything for me, Ron."

"Yes, they can," he snapped, stubbornly.

"How can I contact your parents? They'll knock some sense into you."

"They were killed in the war, Ron."

Ron fell into the chair, as he heaved for air. "Let me take you to the hospital."

"I'm done, Ron. I'm ready to see my parents. I'm ready to see my Percy."

Ron looked at her disbelievingly. "You're ready to leave your son?"

"When Percy discovered that the Minister was working for You Know Who and he decided to play double agent for the Order, he sent me into hiding. I had no contact with the magical world. He said he'd come for me after it was over. I didn't want to go but he insisted."

"That's why you didn't know he was…"

"I was still waiting."

"Did he know about the pregnancy?"

She shook her head. "I didn't find out until after we were separated. I was waiting for him to tell him."

She brushed her tears away weakly.

"I'm done waiting, Ron. I'm ready to see him now."

"But Davy…"

"I wouldn't make a good mother. I'm too broken, Ron."

"No," he said, shaking his head in denial.

"I know you'll do right by my boy, Ron."

Ron was now clinging to Penelope, as if holding onto her would keep her alive.

"I don't know anything about babies."

"You were always his favourite," she said softly.

Ron let out a sob, tears blinding his vision.

"He talked so fondly of you. He made mistakes Ron but he loved you so."

Ron nodded. Percy had always been the brother to protect him from the twins as a child. He'd grown to resent it as he grew older because the twins would mock him for being a sissy who needed snotty Percy to save him.

"I know he'd want you to take care of his son. You'll do right by him."

Ron shook his head blindly, still trying to gather the energy to keep fighting her acceptance of death.

"You take good care of him and you tell him, you tell him that his father was a good man; that he made mistakes but he was a good man. Promise."

Ron squeezed her hand gently. "Promise," he murmured.

"And you put me to rest by my Percy, all right, put me to rest with my Percy and take good care of my Davy. Promise?"

Ron gulped and snapped out of his haze. "No, you're not going anywhere," he said, with renewed effort.

"Promise?" she repeated.

Ron let out a frustrated sigh, not wanting to give into her defeat.

She looked at him imploringly.

"I promise."

Penelope smiled sadly. "Thank you Ron," she whispered before closing her eyes.

"No, no, no," he murmured, pushing at her shoulder. "Merlin, no!"

The nurse walked in holding a precious bundle in her arms. She looked at Penelope's still body and her face fell.

"Oh dear God," she whispered.

Ron stood up, brushed away his tears and steadied himself before approaching the nurse. The nurse looked at Ron sympathetically before transferring the bundle into Ron's arms.

Ron pulled down the blue blanket a bit, revealing a shock of red hair. The tiny human being opened his eyes and gazed up at Ron with bright blue eyes that matched perfectly with Penelope's eyes.

A tear spilled onto the baby's curled fist but Ron couldn't brush them away anymore. His hands were full.

"Hi there, Davy," he said tentatively. "I'm your uncle Ron."

* * *

T.B.C. 

**Disclaimer: **I'm a poor university student. No profit is being made. Please don't sue me.

My exams are over and I'm just happy, can't you tell by the super happy beginning…I utterly hopelessly addicted to angst. I need to try fluff sometime. Anyway, let me know what you think.

I'm going on holiday so the next installment will not be up until after the new year. Time might move forward in this story, i.e. the next chapter might be set a year or two later, etc. But I hope you'll like it.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah and a Happy New Year!

'See' you in 2007. Weasleygirl-ca.


	2. The Book

Sorry for the massively delayed update. After not writing for so long (because of my trip) I was left with writer's block. But I'm back on track with a new chapter :D. And for those following _Into Oblivion_, I'll update that one soon.

Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers!

**His Guiding Light**

**Chapter 2: The Book**

_Two Years Later_

Ron cradled the cup of tea in his hands while he slowly sipped the hot liquid. He stared out the window absently, watching a couple of chickens pecking at the ground.

"What are you doing up so early?" asked Harry as he grabbed a mug and leaned over the counter for the jar of coffee beans. Ever since Harry started Auror training he had become more inclined to drink coffee than tea.

"Couldn't sleep."

"This doesn't have anything to do with the whole daycare thing, does it?"

Ron shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno…what if he hates it? That would be awful. He'll think that I abandoned him."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Don't be stupid, Ron. It might take some adjusting to but he'll love it. It's good for kids to be around other kids their age."

"I guess," muttered Ron.

xxx

_Ron didn't even remember how he'd gotten out of the hospital and back to the Burrow with Davy held tightly in his arms._

_The baby was crying now. Ron made soothing noises but the child kept wailing._

_He made his way up to his mother's room. She would know what to do. Ron tried to ignore the fact that his mum was in a fragile mental state as he pushed past her door._

"_Dear me, honey, why is that child crying so?"_

"_I don't know," Ron said, trying to control the anxiety in his voice._

"_Tut tut, Arthur, haven't you learned anything from taking care of Bill. Pass him here. Come here Charlie baby," cooed Molly._

_Ron wanted to scream. He wanted to shake his mother and scream, 'I'M RON! NOT DAD! RON!!!' But he didn't. Instead, he passed the crying infant over to his mum and looked at her expectantly._

"_He's probably hungry. Be a dear and go downstairs and heat up a bottle of milk for him, Arthur."_

_Ron sighed sadly and left the room._

_By the time he returned, Molly was sitting on the bed, staring intently at the baby cradled in her arms._

"_Sorry it took so long. I had to go up to the attic and find a baby bottle."_

"_Ron?"_

_Ron sucked in some air. "Yes mum?" he said tentatively._

"_Where did this baby come from?" Her voice sounded shaky and confused._

_Ron gripped the bottle tightly, feeling a mixture of joy for being called by his name and dread for having to tell her that the baby was her dead son's child._

xxx

There was a knock on the door.

Harry put down his mug and headed for the front door.

"I knew you'd be up," said Dean cheerfully as he walked into the kitchen, followed close behind by Neville.

"How would you know that?" asked Ron.

"Davy boy's off to daycare today, right? That's got to have you all nervous," said Dean.

"We thought we'd swing by for some moral support," said Neville, chuckling softly.

The four boys—Ron, Harry, Dean and Neville—had become exceptionally close friends since the end of the war and the loss of their fifth roommate, Seamus. Even the rivalry between Harry and Dean over Ginny was trivial in the face of all their losses.

"Oh very funny," muttered Ron as he got out of his chair. "You want anything to drink?"

"I'll never get over our domesticated friend, here," said Dean, smiling.

Ron rolled his eyes and groaned.

Harry kicked Dean from under the table.

Dean laughed. "But I didn't come here for your famous tea, Ron. I've got something for you."

Neville nodded and pulled out a book. "You're officially published, mate!"

Ron spun around and grabbed the book out of Neville's hand.

_Pawn to Queen_

_Ronald B. Weasley_

_Illustrated by Dean Thomas_

Ron held the book tightly, shaking his head in disbelief. Maybe now, with royalties from the book and a chance to work for half a day while Davy was at daycare, he could start paying people back.

xxx

"_Of course I'm paying for groceries, Ron, don't be dense," exclaimed Harry._

"_It's not you responsibility," shot back Ron as he paced up and down the living room floor._

"_Of course it isn't," agreed Fred._

"_That's right," said Ron. "It's mine."_

"_No, it's ours," snapped George._

"_Shut up or you'll wake the baby," hissed Ron._

"_We'll take care of the finances," said George in a whisper._

"_You two don't even live here. I'm not a bloody charity case. I'm going to figure it out," Ron said, trying to control his voice.._

"_I live in this house, I don't pay rent, it only makes sense that I pay for something," reasoned Harry._

"_That's bullshit, Harry. You're family, you don't have to pay anything to stay here, this is your home. And you're not responsible for the three of us."_

_Ron flopped into the couch. His head hurt. He never expected to be in this situation. Suddenly, he was a teenage boy with a newborn baby, a dependent mother, and no time to hold down a job to support them._

"_If I'm family, than I can carry part of the financial burden. You can't treat me like a guest forever…family aren't guests, Ron."_

"_I can't mooch off of others like some sort of bum," muttered Ron. _

_Fred knocked him over the head. "You're not mooching or being a bum. You're taking care of OUR nephew and OUR mum…you're making a big sacrifice for OUR family and we're not letting you go it alone."_

_Ron sighed, feeling defeated. He'd pay them back somehow. _

xxx

"Mum brought me the book yesterday. Thought I'd like to bring it here myself. Looks pretty good, doesn't it," said Dean.

Ron nodded mutely as he flipped through the colourful pages. Dean's illustrations were stunning.

He couldn't believe that he'd actually written a book—even if it was about chess.

xxx

"_Why don't you write a book?" suggested Dean._

_Ron and Dean sat in the Burrow kitchen nursing cups of tea. Harry and Neville had already started Auror training but Dean wasn't starting at the Ministry for another few days. _

_Ron laughed bitterly. "Write a book? This isn't the time to be funny."_

"_I'm not being funny. Seriously, think of something you really like."_

_Ron shook his head, feeling the hopelessness of his situation._

"_You like chess. Write a book on chess. Write one for beginners or kids…you won't believe the number of parents who want their kids to play chess but don't know enough to make them good players."_

"_You're insane Dean. I can't write a book. I don't even read books." Not like Hermione. He shook his head, trying not to think of his deserter girlfriend._

"_You don't need to read books to write them…you just got to be passionate about the topic and driven enough to pull it off—it's not like you're writing about potions or fiction—now that's hard. Chess is like breathing to you."_

"_Yeah, but it would take a while to write…I wouldn't see a knut until after it's published, and that's if I could even find a publisher."_

"_Ah, but that's why I mentioned it. My mum works for a publishing company—pretty high up too. Granted it's a muggle company but muggle chess is practically the same thing. So what if you don't earn something 'til after it's published…at least you'll be doing something besides changing nappies."_

"_I dunno."_

_Dean could tell that he was warming up to the idea._

"_And I could illustrate, I've always had a knack for drawing."_

xxx

Harry glanced at his watch and groaned.

"All right, we've got to get going, Neville. Meeting's in five minutes," said Harry.

Neville sighed. "Who is their right mind calls meetings at 6:30 in the morning?"

"Kingsley's got you two working like house elves," chuckled Dean.

Harry nodded. "After two years of training, we're still the butt of the operation."

"Only one more year," said Ron before the two boys disappeared.

"You had breakfast yet, Dean? Making sausages and eggs."

"Sounds delicious but I have to head out. I'm meeting Kerry for breakfast. She's always asking to pop into my office for lunch, so I've made breakfast plans with her instead."

"You two've been going out for a year now; it's about time you tell her, Dean."

"And have her freak out and then forced to modify her memory, I don't think so."

"If she loves you, it won't matter."

"Oh, very cliché, mate."

Ron chortled. "Just trying to help…oh shoot, Davy's up. Do me a favour and make sure the sausages don't burn."

He sprinted up the stairs and into George and Fred's former room, which Ron had turned into Davy and his room.

Ron slept in George's old bed and Davy slept in Fred's bed, with protective bars placed around it.

Davy was standing against the bars, holding onto them while he cried. When he saw Ron he sniffled loudly and held out his arms for his uncle.

"Shh, Davy boy, what's the matter," Ron cooed as he scooped the boy into his arms. Davy quickly snaked his tiny arms around Ron.

"Mean dream."

"You had a mean dream?"

Davy nodded solemnly as he nodded his head against Ron's shoulder.

"What about?"

"Bad ghoul."

"Oh that bloody ghoul!"

"Bloody ghoul," squealed Davy suddenly, giggling and clapping his hands.

Ron groaned. Even after two years, he sometimes forgot to watch his language in front of his nephew. "No, no, don't say that Davy."

Davy giggled louder and pushed himself away from Ron, demanding to be let down. Ron put him down and Davy ran out of the room.

"Bloody ghoul!" he squealed again.

"Shh, Davy, don't be so loud. You don't want to wake up grandma, do you?"

Davy stood in front of Ron. "Shhh, bad Uncle Ron, shhh," he said as he put a finger over his mouth.

Ron rolled his eyes and chuckled softly. "That's enough now, time for a bath."

"Nooooo, bath yucky."

"Well, you don't want to be stinky for your first day at daycare, do you?"

Davy's eyes widened. "No daybare! NO DAYBARE! Stay Uncle Ron."

Ron sighed. He was dreading this. "It's dayCare, Davy, dayCare."

"NO DAYBARE!"

"Don't you want to meet other wizards and witches your age?"

He shook his head stubbornly.

Ron picked up the protesting boy and headed for the bathroom, feeling the dread of leaving his boy at the daycare sinking in.

xxx

Hermione stood in the back of the bookstore under an umbrella as the rain poured down heavily.

It was always raining in London.

"Come on," she muttered as she hopped slightly on her feet, impatiently.

Finally, a small truck pulled up to the store.

"About time, Danny," muttered Hermione as a man opened the truck door and stepped outside.

"Sorry Miss, but the traffics real bad." He went to the back of the truck and opened the back.

"Jimmy, come on out here, the shipment's arrived," called Hermione.

A tall, scrawny kid of about sixteen ran out from the store and immediately started unloading boxes, placing them on a trolley and rolling them inside.

Danny handed a clipboard to Hermione and she quickly signed the shipment order, eager to get out of the rain.

"Thanks Danny."

"Always a pleasure doing business with you, Miss Granger," he said with a smile.

Jimmy had already started unpacking the first box by the time Hermione reentered the store.

Hermione picked up a book. "_Ella Enchanted_," she read. She flipped through the book and suddenly felt her heart tighten at the word magic that kept popping up on the pages.

"You all right, Miss Granger?"

"Just fine Jimmy, put these books in the fantasy section, will you and leave one out for the window display."

Hermione knelt down and opened the next box before stumbling onto her backside. She remained seated as she pulled out one of the books.

_Pawn to Queen_

_Ronald B. Weasley_

_Illustrated by Dean Thomas_

"It can't be," she whispered as she stared at Ron's name printed on the cover. She closed her eyes and then reopened them, only to be greeted by his name again.

"Jimmy," she called with a shaky voice.

Jimmy was at her side in no time. "You all right?"

"Read this, the author's name."

"Ronald B. Weasley?" he said uncertainly.

Hermione closed her eyes. She wasn't imaging it.

She took the book back from her employee.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm…I'm fine. Just fine."

She held the book tightly against her chest and felt a tear run down her cheek. Brushing it away roughly, she opened the book.

_To Davy,_

_For making all my struggles worth it._

Who was Davy, wondered Hermione. She was inwardly glad that he hadn't dedicated the book to a woman. She bit her lip. Maybe Davy was a nickname for a woman.

Hermione clenched the book, suddenly feeling an intense sense of loss.

Somebody knocked on the front door.

She heard Jimmy unlock the door and let the man in. "Hey Jeff. Miss Granger's in the back."

"Hey beautiful," whispered the man as he wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist.

Hermione turned her head and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"You ready to head out? We don't want to miss those dinner reservations. Jimmy will finish up for you."

Hermione nodded mutely.

"Give me a second," she said.

Jeff nodded and left the room.

Hermione placed one of the copies out for Jeff to put in the window display before straightening out her skirt and trying to push Ron out of her mind.

Ron was of the past.

Yet, she found herself slipping the book into her purse before leaving her bookstore.

xxx

Ron stood in the storage room of Fred and George's Diagon Alley joke shop, looking around it aimlessly.

"Ron, have you been listening to a thing I said?" asked George.

"Huh? Yeah, I've got it, don't worry."

"Davy will be fine, Ron. Besides, it's only a half-day daycare."

"Mum never put us in daycare," murmured Ron.

George frowned. "We had tons of siblings. Davy doesn't know other kids. He needs to play with kids his own age."

"I guess."

"Well, stop dawdling. You've got a store to run. I'm off. The new shipment is arriving at the Paris location today. I'll see you later. Good luck."

Ron nodded. Life really hadn't worked out the way he had planned.

He was worried about Davy. He was worried about his mum. She hadn't been left alone for such a long period of time and even though she said she'd be fine, he worried.

And to top it all off, he'd spent the last two years under Fred, George and Harry's charity.

And now that he finally had a chance to work and start paying them back, he had to accept a managerial position from the twins because no other boss would allow him the flexibility to continue caring for his nephew and mother.

xxx

"Mr. Weasley, there's someone at the back fireplace for you," said the cashier, Nancy.

"Who is it?"

"I don't know, someone from the hospital saying that some woman is looking for you."

Ron gaped at her as a sense of déjà vu came over him. Two years ago, he had a similar call, which turned him into a surrogate father.

He dashed into the back room and instantly recognized the man to be a healer who worked on Bill's floor.

"Danny, what's going on? Is it about Bill? Fleur?" he said in a panicked voice. Even though Bill had been comatose for the past two years, Fleur visited him everyday and remained an important member of the Weasley family.

The man smiled at him. "Mrs. Weasley could probably do with some support or someone to share her joy with. She's a bit ecstatic."

Ron gasped loudly and leaned into the hearth.

"Is…is Bill…is he awake?"

Danny nodded happily.

Ron let out a shout of joy.

"You tell her that I'm right behind you!"

xxx

"What you reading there, Minzy?" asked Jeff.

Hermione suppressed a flinch at her boyfriend's annoying nickname.

"Oh, uh, a book on chess," she replied, closing it quickly and tucking it under her pillow, somehow feeling like she was cheating on him by reading it.

"Never fancied you for a chess player…you've never mentioned it before."

"Oh, um, it's a casual interest, really. A shipment of the book came in today."

"A children's book on chess, then?"

"Obviously," she said, forcing a smile on her face.

Since she had pulled her disappearing act on the wizardry world, she'd bought a small children's bookstore in London after selling her parent's dentistry office and moved into the apartment above the store.

Jeffery Winslow was the real estate agent who sold the office for her.

"Well, we'll have to test your skills. I might add, I can play a mean game of chess," he said as he scooted into bed.

All Hermione could think was that Ron would wipe the floor with that smug smile if Jeff ever played him.

Hermione inwardly scolded herself.

Jeff leaned over and captured her lips with his own.

"Hmm," murmured Hermione as she moved her head away from his grasp. "I'm feeling a bit hungry. Fancy a sandwich? I'll be right back."

Hermione nearly ran out of the room. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, images of Ron running through her mind. She fanned herself with her hand as she felt herself heat up.

"Merlin," she muttered, baffled that the mere appearance of a book written by Ron brought back so many repressed feelings.

She shook her head and headed for the kitchen. "It's been two years. You're the one who broke his heart," she whispered to herself. "So get over him."

**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own anything…JKR does.**

Annnnnd now we know when HP7 is coming out! I'm so excited. I can't wait for July 21st!


	3. The Party

Here's a new chapter. And for those following _Into Oblivion_, I swear, an update is coming soon...I'm just having a bit of trouble with the chapter but I'll get there!

Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers!

**His Guiding Light**

**Chapter 3: The Party**

"Ron! He is awake…see, he is awake!" Fleur exclaimed as Ron entered the all too familiar hospital room.

Fleur got out of her seat, flung her arms around Ron, and kissed him on both cheeks. "Ze 'ealer was wrong," she whispered.

She pulled away and returned to her seat by Bill's bedside, her face stained with tear streaks, yet glowing radiantly, making her more stunning than she already was—however impossible that seemed.

Bill, who was sitting up in his bed, smiled at Ron. "Hey there little bro."

Ron sucked in some air, rushed to the bed, and wrapped his arms around his brother, tears dripping onto Bill's hospital gown. Ron didn't care that he—a grown man—was crying and clinging to another grown man. All he could think of was that he hadn't lost Bill like he'd lost the others. Bill had come back to them.

"God, Bill, you have no idea…how much…," rushed Ron.

Bill gripped Ron's hair affectionately and Ron felt Bill's tears run passed his scarred cheek. "Me too, Ronnie boy, me too."

Ron finally pulled back and flushed in embarrassment at his total lack of emotional control. He chuckled at the use of his nickname, 'Ronnie boy'. It was Bill's special pet name for Ron when he was a child. And Ron seemed to have subconsciously adopted a similar nickname for Davy.

"Merlin, I've got to get a hold of the rest of the family and bring mum here and pick up Davy," said Ron, suddenly thinking of how overjoyed his mother would be.

Even though his mum was doing much better lately (she hadn't mistaken Ron for someone else in months), she was still emotionally and physically fragile.

"And did they mention when you can leave the hospital?" continued Ron.

"As soon az he likes," said Fleur happily. "He needs physiozerapy to work 'is muscles zat 'ave been doing nothing for long time but 'ealer say he can arrange 'ome visits."

"That settles it! You're coming home right away. Fleur, move into the Burrow, please. That flat of yours is too small for the both of you and mum would love to have both of you at home…if only until you make other plans."

Fleur hesitated.

"Where have you been staying?" asked Bill, worriedly.

"A flat near ze 'ospital."

"Even though I insisted that she stay with us," interjected Ron.

"I wanted to be closer to you at all times no."

Bill sighed as he brushed his fingers against her cheek tenderly. "I've caused you so much pain, haven't I?"

Fleur shook her head before kissing him softly on the lips. "I alwayz 'ad faith."

"I don't deserve you."

"Yes you do," she retorted softly before lacing her fingers through his hair and lifting his hand to her lips to kiss it.

Ron smiled and watched the interaction, not once thinking the exchange was too sappy. It had been so long since his family witnessed Bill and Fleur's overly romantic exchanges that it felt more like a breath of fresh air than an annoyance.

"You've been staying at the Burrow then, Ron?"

Ron nodded.

"Oh, you must fill 'im in on everything, Ron," urged Fleur.

Ron sighed and settled into a chair near Bill's bed.

"What's to say. Well, Ginny's in Poland right now. She's a chaser for Puddlemere  
United and she's got a game against Grodzisk Goblins."

"Are you serious?" asked Bill, sounding thoroughly impressed.

Ron grinned and nodded. "Ginny was captain of the Gryffindor team in her final year and they won the cup…a scout at the game asked her to tryout for Puddlemere United after she graduated. That's two former Gryffindor captains on the team now," he said, referring to Oliver Wood.

"So who do you support when the Puddlemere United play the Chudley Cannons?"

Ron grinned. "I always support Ginny, of course," he said in an overly sweet voice.

Bill chuckled. "What else, then?"

"Right, um the twins are doing well with the joke shops…they've got locations all across Europe now. They're in Paris right now. They're also an official supplier for the Aurors."

"Our family seems so international," commented Bill as he squeezed Fleur's hand.

"Well you and Char…" Ron's voice trailed off and he averted his eyes. Bill and Charlie had been the first Weasleys to seek careers outside of England. And Bill did marry a foreigner.

Fleur placed her hand on top of Ron's hand and patted it reassuringly.

"Eet is okay, Ron."

Ron nodded mutely, trying to control his emotions before continuing.

"And Harry's just finished two years of Auror training, so he's got one year left," said Ron.

"And what about you and mum? And Hermione?" asked Bill.

Ron bit his lip. "Mum's all right."

"What are you hiding?" asked Bill worriedly.

"She's not been well. She's better now but she's still sort of fragile."

Bill's face drained of all colour.

"But she's all right, Bill, I promise."

"Ron's been taking good care of 'er, Bill," offered Fleur.

"And you? Hermione?"

"Hermione and I aren't together anymore," he said impassively.

"Wha—"

"I don't want to talk about her."

Bill looked at him, surprised at how cold Ron suddenly sounded.

"All right Ron. That leaves us with you. What have you been up to?"

Ron closed his eyes. "I haven't really done much in terms of a career."

"What? Why? I thought you had a spot amongst the Auror trainees?"

Ron slouched against the chair. "Things didn't work out. I had to give up my spot."

"Why?"

"Bill, dear, Ron's been taking good care of the family. Eet is a full time job, no?"

Bill still looked confused.

"I didn't want to leave mum alone for long periods of time…"

"It was that bad?" asked Bill in a distressed voice.

"At a point, yes…but not anymore," Ron added quickly.

"And the other reason—."

A clock chimed 1 p.m. somewhere in the distance.

"Oh no," exclaimed Ron, aghast. "The daycare lets out at one! Davy's going to think I forgot him. I've got to go."

"Who's Davy?"

Ron looked at Bill, apologetically. "I can't explain now, Fleur can fill you in. I'll be right back. Give me ten minutes."

Bill was about to protest but Ron had already disapparated out of the room.

xxx

"Uncle Ron! Uncle Ron," called Davy, excitedly as Ron appeared inside the daycare.

He ran up to his uncle and pulled at his hand.

"Come meet Jenny."

Ron smiled down at Davy and nodded mutely.

"Uncle Ron crying?"

"Oh don't you worry, Davy boy," assured Ron, as he wiped his face haphazardly. "I'm just fine. So you had a good day?"

Davy nodded enthusiastically. "Jenny is me beeeesssst friend," he exclaimed, flinging his arms apart.

"I thought I was your best friend," said Ron, pretending to be hurt.

Davy giggled. "No, no, no, Uncle Ron beeeeesssst uncle! Jenny beeeeesssst friend."

"I can live with that," he said smiling.

"Now meet Jenny!"

"All right, all right, where is she? We haven't much time."

They approached a woman and a small girl.

"Davy," called the little girl.

"Mummy, mummy, this Davy."

"And you must be Jenny," said Ron.

"Children are so adorable. One day and they've already best friends," said the woman as she shook hands with Ron. She was a very attractive woman, who looked to be in her late thirties.

"I'm just happy that he liked the daycare," said Ron.

"I'm Sandra Wittle," said the woman, smiling sweetly at Ron.

"Oh right, sorry. Ron Weasley."

"You seem a bit young to be Davy's father."

Ron smiled awkwardly. "He's my nephew."

"Oh well that makes much more sense. Then you aren't married?"

Ron was taken by surprised. "Uh, what? No, definitely not."

"Good, good, marrying young doesn't work out, I should now. I got married young and it was a complete disaster."

Ron held his forced smile. He noticed that despite what she said, she had a wedding band on her ring finger.

The woman laughed flirtatiously and waved her left hand in front of his face. "Second marriage," she explained.

"Oh," he replied. "Well, I'm in a bit of a hurry. I'll see you later. And bye there Jenny."

"Bye," said Davy, waving as Ron picked up the child and disapparated.

xxx

Bill sat in his old room on his bed, staring at the bed in front of him—the bed that Charlie used to sleep in. He remembered all their late night conversations about quidditch and girls and dragons. It seemed like only yesterday that Charlie was lying in bed, chatting about his precious dragons. But in reality, over two years had passed since he had last seen his brother.

In two years, so much had changed; Bill could barely comprehend it all. His mum looked so much older. She had become thin and fragile, the plumpness of her face gone. She held Bill for over an hour and cried. It broke his heart to see his mother in so much pain.

Bill had wondered around the house, aimlessly, before reaching his room. He couldn't bring himself to enter Percy's room or his mother's room—the room that also belonged to his father two years ago.

Ginny's room remained the same. Ron's room had become Harry's room—posters no longer graced the walls and the painfully bright orange walls were now painted a subdued yellow.

The twins' room seemed to have experienced the most changes. Fred's bed now had protective baby bars surrounding it. Old toys that he hadn't seen for ages were stacked against the wall. An old changing board stood at one end, stocked with nappies, wipes and other baby supplies. Baby boy clothes that had once belonged to him and his brothers occupied one set of drawers.

Bill still couldn't believe that the Burrow was home to a baby once more—the child of his deceased baby brother—a child that was being brought up by his youngest brother, while Bill was unavailable.

The guilt and anger gripped his heart as he sat on his bed. He was the oldest. He was supposed to take care of his family. Instead, he had slept for two years.

"Bill, what are you doing 'ere all alone? Ginny will be 'ere soon. Why don't you come downstairs? Ron is making your favourite foods," said Fleur gently as she stood in the doorway of the room.

Bill closed his eyes. When had his life become so ironic? The youngest son was taking care of the oldest son. Ron was taking care of everyone. It wasn't right. He should be taking care of the family and Ron should be living his life.

"Fleur, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course baby," replied Fleur as she sat down beside him.

"Have you spent much time with Davy?"

"Oh yes, Bill. He is ze sweetest little boy. I love him very much."

Bill smiled. "Do you think maybe…what would you think…I don't know, that we took care of Davy from now on?"

Fleur looked utterly surprised. "What are you saying, Bill?"

"If you don't want to, I understand."

"No, Bill, I would do anything for ze family and for Davy—."

"Then it's settled," Bill said, happily. "When we move out, we'll take Davy with us."

"But Bill, what about Ron?"

"This is for Ron, Fluer. We both have careers. Davy will be in daycare for part of the day and we could work out our schedules in order to take care of him. This way, Ron could get on with his life. He's twenty years old, he shouldn't be changing nappies and cleaning up throw-up. He should be making a career for himself."

"Bill, I do not think you understand."

"Of course I do. I'm older. Davy should be my responsibility."

"Yes, but Ron loves Davy very much, no."

"It isn't like Ron will never see Davy again. He is his uncle after all."

Fleur looked doubtful.

"I still think you do not understand, Bill, dear."

xxx

"Absolutely not," Ron said firmly.

Harry and Fleur looked at each other wearily from across the kitchen table as Bill told Ron his plan.

"But it makes sense, Ron. You're so young. You should be pursuing your own ambitions at this age. I can't just stand by and let you waste your life like this."

"Bill," said Fleur warningly.

"So you think I'm wasting my life, do you?" asked Ron.

"No, no, that came out all wrong, what I meant…"

"It doesn't matter, Bill. Davy stays with me. That's the end of this discussion, all right. I don't want to fight with you," he said before getting up.

"But Ron—"

Ron stopped walking and turned to face Bill. "Look Bill. I don't think you understand. Sometimes I wish that I had the chance to train with Harry and I hate the fact that I'm financially crippled but not once have I regretted taking care of Davy or mum. I don't see this as wasting my life, Bill."

"I never meant it that way," said Bill desperately.

"I still want a career, Bill, but it's just going to take longer than I might have imagined because I have other priorities. It took me a long time to accept that. And I don't need you to take them off my hands. Davy isn't just a responsibility to me, all right? He's apart of my life and I plan to keep it that way."

Bill opened his mouth but he didn't know what he was planning to say.

Ron smiled reassuringly and nodded. "A lot's changed in two years, Bill, but you'll get the hang of it."

"I warned you, no?" said Fleur after Ron left the room.

Bill slouched against his chair. "I would have thought that he would want the chance to start Auror training."

"It's complicated," said Harry. "Ron was there when Davy was born. He was at Penelope's deathbed. She made him promise that he would take care of her son. He takes that promise very seriously, Bill."

"Yes, but the promise wouldn't be broken; we would be taking care of him."

Harry shook his head. "Ron was the one who lost countless nights of sleep because Davy was crying or needed a change of nappies or needed to be fed. And he loves Davy, Bill, very much and Davy loves him. Davy might call him uncle but he thinks of him as dad and Ron will say that Davy is his nephew but he thinks of him as his son."

Bill nodded slowly, finally understanding the complexity of the relationship.

"You can't very well take them away from each other."

"You're right, Harry. I guess things have really changed around here."

xxx

The house had never been so lively since before the Second War. A large banner, with the words, "WELCOME BACK BILL" hung across the living room of the Burrow and music blared through the house.

Ron smiled as he leaned against a doorway between the living room and kitchen, watching everybody have fun. It had been so long since they had a reason to celebrate.

His mum was sitting at the dining table with Tonks, talking animatedly, no doubt about Tonks upcoming motherhood. Harry and Ginny had their hands laced together as they laughed with the twins, Lee Jordon and Gabrielle. Bill and Fleur were chatting with Kingsley, Neville and Moody. Fleur's parents sat on a couch, talking quietly with each other. Davy was sitting in Remus's lap, falling asleep after chatting insistently about his first week at daycare.

Ron went over to Davy and Remus. "Hello there Ron. I didn't get a chance to congratulate you on your book."

Ron blushed. "Thanks."

"Davy was telling me that it's 'de-di-ted' to him," he said with a chuckle.

Ron laughed. "I can correct him a million times but 'dedicated' will always be 'de-di-ted'."

Remus smiled and looked down at the slumbering Davy, thoughtfully. "You know, I've never been more nervous in my life," he said, more to himself than to Ron.

"You've got nothing to worry about, you'll make an amazing father, Remus," assured Ron.

Remus nodded. "I'll have to get some pointers from you."

"Well, if I can pull it off, you definitely can. Here, let me take him. I should have put him to bed ages ago…probably talked your ear off."

"Oh, it wasn't a problem; we had a very interesting discussion."

Ron laughed. "I'm sure," he said as he pulled Davy into his arms, so that his little head rested against Ron's shoulder.

While he was walking across the room, somebody knocked on the door.

"I'll get it," said Ginny as she took another swig of her firewhisky.

"Oh if it isn't my ex-boyfriend, Dean Thomas" announced Ginny before kissing him on the cheek.

"Hands off, Thomas," Harry hollered jokingly.

"Hands full, Potter," replied Dean, holding up a bottle of firewhisky.

"Ooo, he's brought a guest!" exclaimed Ginny, goofily, noticing the girl standing beside him, her arm linked with his arm.

"Ginny, this is Kerry, my girlfriend. Kerry, this is, as she so eloquently put it, my ex-girlfriend, Ginny."

"Well, well, well, Kerry," slurred Ginny, swinging her arm around the unsure girl's shoulder and pulling her into the room. "Come in! Come in! Girlfriends, ex-girlfriends, who cares, we're all friends!"

Ron chuckled to himself as he made his way up to his room.

"Have I got news for you, mate," said Dean as he walked into Ron's room while Ron was tucking Davy into bed.

"Left your girlfriend down there with Ginny, don't know if that was a wise move."

Dean laughed. "Yeah, can't leave her for long, who knows what Ginny will do to her."

"So, I'm guessing you told her?"

"Yup, and she took it really well…I think."

"You think?"

"Well, she's new to the whole thing, it'll take some getting used to, I reckon," said Dean as he waved an envelope in Ron's face.

"What's this?"

"I got a letter today from the publishing company, asking me to illustrate another book!"

"Seriously?" Ron said, excitedly, snatching the letter out of Dean's hand. "Wait, this is addressed to me."

"That's the other part of the news. Look at the return address."

"Lord Russell?"

"Well, open it."

"I don't get it, how did you get this letter?" Ron asked as he opened the sealed envelope.

"Well, you gave my contact information to the publisher, remember? Mailman doesn't even know this place exists."

"Oh, Right. Um, he wants to have dinner with me next week and play a game of chess. Apparently, he's well immersed in competitive chess. Competitive chess?" said Ron as he read the letter.

"He must keep tabs on what goes on in the chess world and noticed your book. This is great news! You can play a real chess master and maybe get into competitive chess!"

"I don't know, I mean, it's muggle business and all," Ron said, hesitantly.

"There's no harm in seeing what it's all about. Besides, there's probably competitive wizardry chess too."

"I guess."

Something exploded from downstairs.

Ron dropped the letter onto his bed. "What the hell?"

Laughter erupted from downstairs.

"Oh shit, I hope Kerry's okay."

Ron and Dean ran downstairs. Everyone, besides the Delacours, Remus, Tonks and Molly (who were deep in conversation with each other), sat around in a circle, playing cards.

"Dean, baby, come play this game…it's so weird, the cards explode!" Kerry said just as her cards exploded.

"Opps, that's another swig for you," slurred Ginny, pushing Kerry's mug of firewhisky towards her. She giggled loudly and took another guzzle of her drink. "This stuff is bloody amazing!"

"Looks like Kerry's a fan of wizardry alcohol, that's a good start," said Ron, laughing.

"Cards and alcohol…sounds like fun," said Dean as he joined the circle.

"Fleur, I want to play too!" whined Gabrielle. "I have had ze wine before, no."

"Oh come on, Fleur, let her play, what's a bit of wine going to do," urged Bill. "It's not like we'll give her firewhisky."

Fleur looked up at her mother. "Mére?"

Her mother sighed and nodded. "Oui, oui."

Gabrielle squealed happily and scouted in beside her sister as Bill gave her some cards.

"You playing, Ron?" called Harry.

"Yeah, yeah, deal me in," replied Ron as he joined the circle, feeling grateful that even though they had all experienced great losses and hardships, they could still laugh and have a good time.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, that was a long chapter, with a lot of seemingly random stuff in there and no flashbacks because it carries on from where the last chapter left. I think Hermione will be back in the next chapter. With such long chapters, I think this story will be done in a few more chapters. Let me know what you think. Thanks!

**Danny: **Thanks so much for the awesome review. I do have a tendency to break my chapters up into very small paragraphs. I did try to get longer ones in this one :D. As for Davy calling Ron, 'Uncle Ron' instead of Dad…that was a big debate for me but I decided that if Ron wanted Davy to know Percy as his dad, Ron would have to be 'Uncle Ron'. I'm definitely going to address the confusion that causes Davy in a later chapter. Thanks again for the great review! Weasleygirlca.


	4. The Meeting

**Disclaimer: **J.K.R. created it, we play in it :D

Thanks so much to all my wonderful reviewers!

Here's the next chapter: Some Harry/Ron friendship, Uncle Harry and Davy and a chance meeting ;).

**His Guiding Light**

**Chapter 4: The Meeting**

_Two Years Later_

"Uncle Harry! Get up!" called Davy as he jumped on Harry's bed.

Harry groaned and pulled his pillow over his head. "Davy, go back to bed or go bug someone else."

"But Uncle Ron doesn't like me bugging Grandma when she's sleeping."

"Gobacktobed," Harry mumbled.

"Uncle Harry!" he whined as he shook the sleepy man.

Harry opened his eyes slightly and cringed as the sunlight assaulted his eyes. He looked at his clock: 9:07am. "Davy, go back to bed, it's a Sunday."

"But I need your help."

"Can't it wait?" he said as he stifled a yawn.

Davy jumped off the bed and made an 'hmph' sound. "You're a mean uncle," he said crossly.

Harry groaned again before he sat up in his bed and looked for his glasses.

"All right, Davy, what is it?" Harry finally said. The boy knew exactly what cards to play with him.

Davy clapped his hands together and smiled. "I want to make breakfast."

Harry narrowed his eyes at the ludicrous request. "You wake me up on a Sunday morning to make breakfast? Come on, Davy, get a bit more shuteye and Uncle Ron will make you breakfast in an hour or so."

Davy frowned. "But that's why I want to make breakfast."

Harry shook his head. Sometimes kids made no sense at all. "You want to make breakfast because it's Sunday?"

Davy suddenly looked very shy. He walked up to Harry and whispered something in his ears even though there was nobody else in the room.

Harry looked quizzically at the four-year-old child, who was shifting his feet uncomfortably.

"Well, I didn't know that was today." Because he never had a reason to honour it, he thought sadly. "That's a very nice idea, Davy," Harry said. "Why are you shy about it?"

Davy shrugged his shoulders. "Will you help me? Uncle Ron won't let me use the cookery things alone."

"Of course I'll help you," said Harry, still regretting his rude awakening but not willing to deny the boy his thoughtful request. "Let's go."

xxx

Ron rolled out of bed at 10:15 to the smell of frying bacon, a bit dazed. He was usually the one frying bacon on a Sunday morning. He looked over at Davy's bed and found it empty. He groaned. If Davy had woken his mother up to make him breakfast, he would be in trouble.

He tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes as he walked down the stairs. He found himself rubbing his eyes again when he finally reached the kitchen.

"Uncle Ron," exclaimed Davy, happily. "Look what I did!"

Ron blinked a couple of times, a bit bewildered. The table was set with four plates and four glasses—for Davy, Harry, his mum and himself. Plates of bacon, eggs, thickly cut bread, butter and a pitcher of pumpkin juice sat in the centre of the table.

"What's all this?" he asked.

"I made breakfast. Well, maybe Uncle Harry helped a bit," he added, holding his index finger and thumb close together to show how _little_ Harry helped.

Harry chuckled and ruffled the boy's red hair.

"Aww, thank you Davy boy," Ron said, sincerely. He still didn't quite understand what was going on.

Davy smiled. "Because you make breakfast everyday," he said as an explanation.

"Well, I quite like this arrangement," said Ron, jokingly.

"Oh, I think not," said Harry. "I'd rather not lose anymore of my sleep-in days."

"And I made you something in school," he said, suddenly very shy. He ran to a chair and pulled out something. "Here."

Ron held the orange, bowtie-shaped, muggle construction paper with the words, "To Uncle Ron, Love Davy," printed on it in Davy's childish writing.

"Wow, Davy, this is just wonderful! Thank you!" he said as he hugged the boy. "I'm going to hang it over the fireplace."

Davy beamed.

Ron gave him another squeeze before saying, "Well, Davy, you should go and see if Grandma is awake so we can eat all this yummy food."

Ron watched as Davy ran up the stairs before he turned to Harry. "Do you have any idea what brought this on?" he asked his best friend as he popped a piece of bacon into his mouth and moved to the living room to hang his gift.

Harry chortled. "It's Father's Day."

Ron furrowed his brow. "What's that?"

"It's a muggle day to honour dads. They have one for mums in May and one for dads in June."

Ron suddenly felt very special. "He did all this for me…for Father's day?"

Harry nodded. "It's a rather big thing for children in Muggle School."

Ron smiled softly. He had enrolled Davy in Muggle School as soon as he was old enough. Bill, Fred and George had thought it was a bad idea but that's what Ron wanted.

xxx

"_You can't put him in Muggle School, that's ridiculous," exclaimed Bill._

"_Of course I can, and I will. I've already got the paper work started. The Ministry is willing to draw up the birth certificate so the Muggle Ministry will recognize him. After all, Penelope was muggle-born."_

"_But why?" said Fred. "I mean, just keep him in Wizard daycare."_

"_They only take children up to age six. What am I going to do after that?"_

"_Mum's been taking care of him for half-days now, she won't mind taking care of him while you're at work," said George._

"_Listen to yourself. Mum's not some babysitter."_

"_Of course not, she's his grandma and she adores him!"_

"_No, mum deserves a break, all right…especially after everything she's been through. She's taken care of seven children, do you expect her to take care of all her grandchildren too?" shot Ron. "Grandmas are supposed to have fun with their grandkids, not run after them when they're being naughty."_

_Bill sighed. "You're right on that account."_

"_And he's used to being around kids. He'll hate being stuck at home with only adults. We all had each other, he doesn't have any siblings," Ron continued._

_Fred laughed. "Remember how reluctant you were with the whole daycare business?" _

"_That's because we'd never been apart before but now I know that it's good for him."_

"_All right, Ron, it is a good idea, I mean he's got to learn his mathematics, reading, writing and such but what if he mentions magic?" asked Bill._

"_I'm going to explain to him the importance of keeping that a secret and if he slips up, they'll just think it's an overly active imagination."_

"_And if he does magic at school?"_

"_We'll figure it out then. All muggleborns went to Muggle School and we haven't heard anything disastrous."_

_Bill sighed again. "I guess you win."_

_Ron smiled. "Of course I win."_

xxx

"Ron, you there?" asked Harry, waving his hand in front of him.

"Uh? Yeah, what were you saying?"

"I was saying that apparently last month, some of the kids at school said they made breakfast for their mums because their mums always made breakfast for them and that's how he got the idea for Father's day."

"Oh."

"He was actually very shy about it. I think he's still kind of confused with the whole orphan or not orphan thing, you know? Remember when he whispered something in my ear that day."

"Yeah."

"He was saying that he thought you were like the mums and dads that everybody else had." Harry placed a hand on Ron's shoulder. "You're like a two-in-one parent called 'Uncle Ron'."

Ron nodded mutely as he recalled the 'orphan incident' from a few weeks earlier.

Davy had been very withdrawn when Ron picked him up from his half-day Muggle School that day and he refused to tell Ron what was wrong. He'd been mostly silent throughout lunch and barely waved goodbye when Ron headed back to work. It was only after dinner when Davy told him what was wrong.

xxx

_Harry was sitting cross-legged on a couch in the living room, a massive book on defensive spells propped up in his lap. _

_Ron was sitting on the other couch deeply immersed in a lengthy parchment detailing the winning match of the 1867 International Wizard Chess Championship._

_Davy was lying on his stomach on the floor drawing on a piece of parchment. _

_Molly had gone to visit Bill and Fleur because Fleur was being rather moody (she was five months pregnant) and Bill was a bit frantic. _

"_Bloody brilliant," muttered Ron to himself. "This wizard's brilliant!"_

"_Hmm," said Harry absently._

_Davy twisted himself into a cross-legged position on the floor and stared at Ron._

_Ron smiled at him. He had already started teaching his nephew the game. "Do you want to play a game of chess, kiddo?"_

_Davy shook his head._

_Ron put the parchment aside. "Come on Davy boy, won't you tell Uncle Ron what's wrong."_

_Harry looked up from his book. He had also noticed how reserved the usually loud and hyperactive boy was being._

_Davy frowned and shook his head._

"_Please," Ron said, pouting. "You can tell me anything."_

_Suddenly, tears started running down the child's cheeks and he sniffled softly._

_Ron was alarmed. Davy rarely cried. He quickly got off the couch and gathered the boy in his arms. Harry was also looking very worried._

"_Davy, please, what's wrong? Has someone done something you? Has someone hurt you?" asked Ron desperately, his head spinning. If anyone hurt his nephew, Ron would kill them. "Tell me, _please_."_

_Davy moved his head away from Ron's chest and looked at him. Ron wondered if his pounding heart had startled him._

"_What's an orphan?" he asked meekly._

_Ron hadn't expected that. He was relieved that nobody had hurt his boy but he wasn't sure he could deal with this either._

_Harry closed his eyes and sighed._

"_Where did you hear that word?" Ron asked tentatively. None of the adults in Davy's life had every mentioned the word orphan. Davy knew that Percy and Penelope were his parents. Ron had pictures of them, Charlie and his dad all over the house. And he talked about them often because he wanted Davy to know his parents, grandfather and Charlie, no matter how much it hurt Ron sometimes. Davy understood that they had been lost in the War._

_Davy continued to sniffle. "That's what they called me at school."_

_Ron furrowed his brow. Why would anyone tease a child with that?_

"_When?"_

"_Today. The teacher was talking about jobs and then at playtime Peter Russo said that his daddy is a…a…neo…um…surgen."_

"_Neurosurgeon?" suggested Harry._

"_Yeah, that and that his mummy is an arch…er…something."_

"_Architect?" said Harry._

_Davy nodded._

_Ron was completely lost._

"_And then they was all saying what their parents did and then Peter asked me what my parents doed."_

"_Did," murmured Ron as he inhaled some air sharply, dreading where this was going._

"_I said that my Uncle Ron wrote a book and he works for the Ministry. Nothing about magic, promise," he said quickly._

_Ron hugged him reassuringly. "Don't worry, baby."_

"_Then Peter said, 'Who cares about your uncle, what 'bout your parents?'" Davy imitated the boy with a scowl on his face._

"_Oh Davy," sighed Ron._

"_I said my parents were gone but I has…have my Uncle Ron," he stumbled._

"_You do," Ron murmured._

"_Then they looked at me all weird and…" He widened his eyes and dropped his mouth open to show how his classmates reacted. "They said I was an orphan and I must be real sad and Peter said he was sorry for me but he didn't sound sorry, he sounded mean."_

_He buried his head in Ron's shoulder. Ron looked over at Harry, not knowing what to do. True, Davy had lost both his parents, but did that make him an orphan? After all, Davy had him and his grandmother and his other uncles and aunts. _

_Harry had gone rather pale._

"_Davy," Harry said softly._

_Davy lifted his head and looked over at Harry._

"_Come here for a moment."_

_Ron bent down and let Davy down. Harry pulled him into his lap. "Orphan is a complicated word, Davy."_

"_But am I an orphan?"_

"_I don't think so."_

"_What does it mean?"_

"_Well, it can mean someone who has lost both their parents."_

_Davy's bottom lip quivered. "So I am an orphan?"_

"_Well, no, because, it can also mean a child without parental care."_

"_I don't understand."_

"_Ron takes good care of you, doesn't he?"_

_He nodded._

"_And he loves you."_

_He nodded again._

"_And I love you."_

_He continued to nod._

"_And your grandma loves you and so do all your other uncles and aunts, right?"_

"_Yes."_

"_And you love us?"_

"_Yes."_

"_See, when I was a baby, I lost both my parents too and I was brought up by my uncle and aunt."_

"_You were?"_

"_I was."_

"_So you and I, we're the same?"_

"_I don't think so."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because my uncle and aunt were bad people."_

"_Like Death Eaters?" he asked in a hushed voice._

"_No, there are bad people who aren't Death Eaters, Davy. No, my uncle and aunt didn't love me and they were very mean to me and they treated me very badly. But Uncle Ron is nothing like that, is he?"_

_Davy gasped. "Never!"_

"_So you see, I was an orphan but you aren't."_

"_Are you sad to be an orphan?"_

"_I was very sad to be an orphan. But then I found your Uncle Ron and his family and now I don't feel like an orphan."_

"_I'm not sad, so I guess I'm not an orphan," he said, sounding happy._

"_Nope," Harry said cheerfully. "So if that Peter fellow ever gives you trouble about it, you tell him that, all right?"_

_Davy nodded solemnly and then leaned forward and whispered something into Harry's ear that Ron couldn't hear. Harry smiled. "I think so, too."_

_Then he jumped out of Harry's lap and hugged Ron's legs. _

_Ron quickly erased the distressed expression off his face and bent down to hug him back. "I love you, kiddo."_

"_I love you too."_

_Ron smiled._

"_Can I have a biscuit?"_

_Ron chuckled. "Only one."_

_Davy grinned and ran into the kitchen._

_Ron looked over at Harry, who was looking out a window._

"_Harry?"_

_Harry sighed and turned to Ron. His eyes glistened with what looked suspiciously like unshed tears._

"_Sorry," muttered Harry._

"_Don't—," started Ron, his heart feeling very heavy at the sight of his upset friend._

"_Just sometimes I wonder how I ever survived the Dursleys, you know."_

_He got up quickly, obviously wanting to get out of the room before he started crying in front of Ron. They had both broken down in front of each other before but it had been so long ago that Ron understood Harry's need for privacy._

_Ron embraced him before he left. "Thanks mate."_

"_Anytime," said Harry._

"_I want you to know, Harry, walking into that train compartment back in first year was one of the best things I ever did."_

_Harry smiled softly before leaving the room._

xxx

"This is all very delicious, sweetie," complimented Molly as her grandson beamed at her.

"I was saying that he could take over from now on," said Ron.

Davy shook his head. "Uncle Harry wouldn't be very happy."

"You're right about that," said Harry, chuckling.

"Well, don't go thinking that Gin will make you breakfast every morning," said Ron, jovially.

Harry gagged on his bacon. "Yeah, she'll juggle a couple a quaffles while she fries the eggs."

Molly frowned slightly. "With both of you so busy, how do you plan to prepare food?"

Ron smiled. Harry and Ginny were engaged to be married in late September. Molly was very excited and at the same time nervous about how they would function as a married couple.

"Ron, of course," said Harry, batting his eyes at him innocently.

"A pity you ain't marrying me, Harry Potter," retorted Ron, jokingly. Ron had long gotten over the domestic jokes thrown his way and now, with a steady job at the Ministry of Magic, he laughed along with the rest of his friends and family.

"Well, Ron won't have time for all that, what with the National Junior Wizard Chess Championship coming up in a few weeks, will you, Ronnie dear," said Molly, as gazed at her son proudly.

"Muuum, it's not a big deal, it's only the Juniors," Ron mumbled.

Lord Russell, who had invited him to dinner two years ago, was not a muggle as Ron and Dean thought. He inherited the 'Lord' title from his muggle father but his mother was related to the famous Wizard Chess Champion, Montague Knightley.

They spent hours playing Wizard chess, while Davy played with Lord Russell's expensive childhood toys. Ron had finally found a challenging opponent who could help him expand his skills in the game.

It was through him that he landed a job at the Department of Games and Sports with the Wizard Chess Office and now after working there for nearly two years, Ron and a coworker were organizing the annual National Junior Wizard Chess Championship.

A Ministry position, while not his ideal job, was a good 8 to 4 job with an hour lunch that fit in perfectly with Davy's school routine. Ron would get him ready in the morning, make him breakfast and take him to school before heading for work. Then at lunch, Ron would pick Davy up from school and have lunch with him and his mum before returning to the office. This way, his mum only had to watch him for a few hours each day.

"No matter, I'm very proud of you! And to think, you came in forth in the European Wizard Championship and first in the Muggle British championship this year," she said beaming at him. "Next year it'll be first in both for sure."

That was the reason he spent so much time with Lord Russell and with detailed accounts of old championship games. He had taken up completive chess, both Wizard and Muggle.

"Talking about chess competitions, you packed for tomorrow?" asked Harry.

Harry was referring to the Muggle Junior Championships, which were being held in London in the coming week. The English Chess Federation asked Ron to be a judge for the competition, as he was the current adult Chess Champion and author of a children's book on chess.

Davy bounced in his seat. "We're going to pack today. And Uncle Dean's going to take me to a carnival while we're there," he said excitedly.

"Are those things safe?" asked Molly, worriedly.

"Apparently, all the muggle children go to these carnival things," said Ron, as he piled more bacon onto his plate.

"Don't worry, it's very safe, Molly," assured Harry.

"Why'd you asking, Harry?" said Ron.

"'Cause Ginny's coming home today and we're going out tonight."

"That's nice," he said, unenthusiastically.

"And we want you to come with us."

Ron choked on his egg. Molly patted his back.

"Sorry mate, but you're passed the stage of needing a chaperon."

"Haha," Harry said sarcastically. "No, actually, Ginny's got this friend and…"

"Oh no, Harry, don't you even finish that sentence."

"Come on Ron. She's a real nice girl and a Quidditch player too, you two would hit it off instantly."

Ron glared at him. "Stop trying to set me up with women, all right?"

"I think this would be good for you, dear," inserted Molly. "You can't wait around, thinking Hermione will come back, it's been four years." Molly spat out Hermione's name like it was something sour on her tongue.

The chair screeched loudly as Ron got out of his seat, angrily. "I am NOT waiting around for _her_!" he yelled.

Davy looked up at Ron surprised. Ron rarely yelled—at least, not in front of Davy. "Who's Hermione?" he asked.

Molly pulled Ron back into his seat. "I'm sorry, dear, I know you aren't waiting for her, but you've got to get out there. It isn't healthy for a twenty-two-year-old to have no interest in girls."

"But who's Hermione?" insisted Davy.

"Nobody important, Davy, don't worry," answered Ron.

xxx

Ron held Davy's hand tightly as they stood in the lobby of the Dorchester.

"This place is big," Davy whispered in awe.

Ron agreed. Dean had said that the Dorchester was one of the leading hotels in London but this was grander than Lord Russell's manor.

"Come on Davy, let's get checked in."

"Good morning, sir, how may I help you," greeted the woman at the desk.

"Um, I'm here for the Junior Chess Championship, Ronald Weasley."

She started clicking away at some muggle contraption before looking up and smiling. "You're in our Stanhope Suite. Mr. Chase will take you to your rooms, Mr. Weasley."

"Thanks," he mumbled as someone took his luggage from him and led him to the elevators.

"Wow," gasped Davy as he ran through the sitting room and straight into the bedroom. He climbed onto the bed, stood up and started jumping on it.

Ron looked apologetically at Mr. Chase. "He's a bit hyper."

The man laughed. "You should see my kid, he's off the walls I tell you."

Ron smiled and realized he was supposed to tip the man. "Um, uh, here," he said uncertainly, pulling out some muggle bills. No matter how many times he dealt with muggle money, he always got a bit flustered.

"Thank you, sir."

"Uh, Ron's fine."

"Right," he said smiling. "I hope the competition goes well."

"Pretty nice place, eh, Davy?" said Ron after the man left.

Davy nodded enthusiastically. "Let's go out!"

"Where to?"

"I don't know. Birthday present?"

Ron laughed. "You're birthday isn't until September and it's only June."

Davy pouted.

"Let's go for a walk and see bit of muggle London, shall we?"

"All right," Davy said happily. "Let's go."

Davy held onto Ron's hand as he skipped down the street, stopping every few minutes and dragging Ron into a store and getting bored before they got to the back of the shop.

"Look Uncle Ron," he exclaimed as he halted at a bookstore. "It's your book in the window."

Ron turned to look at the display window and there it was, _Pawn to Queen_, propped up on a stand along with a few other books.

"That's weird, the book was published two years ago, why would it be in the display window now?"

"Let's go inside and see it," said Davy, excitedly.

"Don't be silly Davy, you've got a copy of it at home. Come on, we should find a place for lunch."

"Come on, pleeease."

"All right, all right, but let's make it quick."

Davy nodded and Ron pushed open the door, causing a little bell to chime welcomingly.

"Here it is," said Davy as he dragged him to one end of the store where the book was stacked on a table in front of the bookcases. He grabbed one and opened it to the dedication page.

Ron chuckled. Davy was always pleased to see his name printed in the book. He'd probably go through all of them just to see his name if Ron let him.

"A chess fan?" said a man from behind them.

Davy nodded enthusiastically as Ron turned around.

"My fiancé is actually a huge fan of this book," he said, pointing at the book in Davy's hand.

Davy beamed. "Really…" he started.

Ron smiled inwardly but wondered why a grown woman would be interested in a children's book on chess.

Davy held the book to the man and grinned. "He wrote the book…"

"Davy," said Ron, warningly.

"See, Ronald B. Weasley, that's him," Davy said, ignoring Ron's chiding and pointing at him. "And look, this is me, see, Davy, it's dedicated to me!"

"Well, is that so?"

Ron blushed slightly and nodded. "Yeah, that's my book," he said, suddenly feeling very proud.

"Well, well, well, you won't believe how trilled my fiancé will be to meet you!"

"Really?"

"Oh yes, she owns this store actually. Your book's been in the display for two years now!"

Ron smiled awkwardly. Even if it was his book they were talking about, it just didn't seem natural for an adult to love a children's chess book that much.

"Let me get her. Minzy, Minzy, you won't believe who I've got here," he called as he walked towards the back room.

Ron turned to Davy as he stifled a laugh. Minzy? What a ridiculous name.

He could hear the man saying, "It's a surprise, Minzy, just come see."

Ron turned around and smiled as the man reappeared, with someone behind him.

The woman stepped into view and her hand instantly flew to her mouth.

Ron gapped slightly as he stared at her.

"Hermione?" he said, disbelievingly.

Davy looked between Ron and Hermione, curiously.

"Ron," she whispered.

"Hermione from breakfast yesterday?" piped in Davy as he tugged on Ron's trouser leg.

"Not now, Davy," he said absently, his eyes not leaving Hermione for an instant as every angry feeling he had towards her crept to the surface.

Hermione's eyes, on the other hand, snapped to the little boy at his side and she gasped softly as she took in his red hair and blue eyes.

She slowly brought her attention back to Ron's face and Ron could see tears forming at the corner of her eyes. How dare she, he thought, furiously. She had no right to cry. She was the one who left him.

The sounds around him dulled as he stared at the person who had destroyed any trust he ever had in the opposite sex.

As if in the distance, he could hear her fiancé saying in an astounded voice, "You know each other?"

* * *

**A/N: **Now let the cliché-ness ensue ;)…but to my defense, this is a twist on a cliché, right? Usually it's Hermione who has the child…usually a Ron's child that he knew nothing about. Davy isn't even technically Ron's child :D. 

Montague Knightley is a real wizard in the Potter verse (from the Famous Wizard cards). No glamorous job for Ron is this story (because there's Davy). I wanted to address the confusion Davy would feel about his unconventional family. I hope it was all right. Much more Hermione in the next chapter (plus some flashbacks of her own…need to get her story out too).

Anyway, let me know what you think. Weasleygirlca.

* * *

And as I mention a lot of chess in this story, I thought I'd suggest an amazing story on a Wizard Chess Competitionfeaturing our lovely Ronald Weasley (and the mysterious Professor Snape): **excessivelyperky's **story, _Midnight by the Weasley Watch _(it's archived in my Favourites along with some other amazing Ron stories).

* * *

**To my anonymous reviewers:**

**TheDivaDivine:** Yeah, I really think Bill would naturally feel the need to take over responsibility for the family because he's always been the oldest. Oh, after the initial shook at the end of this chapter, things are definitely going to get ugly. Thanks for the wonderful review!

**random : **Thanks for the review!


	5. The Row

All right guys, time to see what's going through Hermione's mind. Annnd…bring on the infamous rowing!

**His Guiding Light**

**Chapter 5: The Row**

Hermione had imagined this moment a million times. She imagined herself knocking on the front door of the Burrow and she imagined Ron opening it. Along with that image came the anger and pain she knew would grace his beautiful face.

But this was no imagination.

No. Ronald Weasley, with his flaming red hair and expressive blue eyes, stood before her, his jaw set and his eyes blazing with anger.

"Hermione from breakfast yesterday?" asked a child.

Hermione's eyes flew to the little boy tugging at Ron's trouser leg.

"Not now, Davy," replied Ron, absently.

_Davy._ From the book. From the dedication. _To Davy, for making all my struggles worth it._ Davy was a little boy. With red hair and blue eyes. He couldn't be younger than four.

She gasped. That would mean…

She slowly brought her eyes back to Ron, tears threatening to break free. She greeted his angry stare.

And then her fiancé's voice broke through the surreal moment. "You know each other?"

"W-what are you doing here?" she blurted out, not knowing what else to say.

Ron clenched his jaw tightly, as if trying to refrain himself from doing something completely rash.

"We is here for the Junior Chess Championship," said Davy, tentatively as he stared up at Ron with wide eyes, obviously confused by the thick atmosphere that had suddenly fallen over the quaint bookstore.

"Davy," Ron said through gritted teeth. "Haven't I told you not to talk to strangers?"

Hermione cringed. It was like a stab to the heart.

"But…but…we were just talking to that man. And you and Uncle Harry and Grandma was talking about 'Hermione' yesterday."

Ron groaned.

They were talking about her, thought Hermione. She hadn't been totally written off.

"Ron," she started.

Ron glared at her. "I have nothing to say to you," he snapped. "Davy, we're going."

"But," he started to protest.

Ron scooped the boy into his arms and stormed out of the bookstore, leaving Hermione trembling with emotions.

"All this time, you knew him!" said Jeff, accusingly.

"Jeff, please…"

"I can't believe what a fool I've been…to think I thought you were just interested in chess!"

Hermione closed her eyes, trying to block out his voice.

xxx

"_Honey, sweetie, we know how much this…this magic means to you but just until this whole thing is over, can't you leave? Quit magic?" insisted Hermione's mother._

"_Yes, I think your mother is right. We should have put a stop to this magic business a long time ago," said her father._

_Hermione, who had been overly interested in her peas, slowly lifted her head. "Mum, dad, I just…magic…it's my life now, and there are things I have to do. I can't give it up."_

"_I forbid it!" Mr. Granger said through clenched teeth._

_Hermione shook her head sadly. "I'm eighteen, dad, you can't forbid it."_

"_I don't want to lose you." Her father's voice was suddenly soft and almost fearful. "I don't want this family put in any danger."_

"_I sorry, dad," she mumbled._

xxx

_Hermione shivered, the wind whistling past her skin. Ron wrapped his arm around her shoulders and rubbed her arm as they stood outside the Burrow. _

_She avoided Ron's eyes. She couldn't bear to look at them for too long anymore. Ron's sparkling blue eyes had always betrayed all his emotions, even as he tried to mask them. But they didn't sparkle anymore. They just stared, a pair of dull blue eyes. In a way, his eyes continued to betray his feelings…the deadness of his eyes giving away the numbness he felt._

_Ron's family had been so big. Nine people. Nine loving, wonderful, goodhearted people. Even Percy. And now, his family had been reduced to five lost souls and one comatose brother._

_Hermione shuddered. Ron rubbed her arm more insistently, trying to keep her warm, _

"_I guess you should be getting home then," whispered Ron._

_Hermione nodded. She needed to go home. Now that it was finally all over, all she wanted to do was crawl into her parents' arms. She wanted to tell them that it was all over now. Show them that their baby was safe._

"_I'll floo you from home."_

_Ron nodded before leaning in and giving her a peck on the lips. "Say hi to your parents for me."_

_The living room was deserted when she apparated into the house. She moved to the kitchen and then the family room, looking for her parents. _

"_Mum. Dad. I'm home," she called. They must have gone out, she thought._

_She trudged up the stairs and that's when she saw it. Her parents' bedroom door, wide open, and yellow police tape blocking the entrance._

xxx

"_They've been dead for weeks, Miss. Granger," explained the police officer at the precinct. "We didn't have any way of contacting you."_

Weeks!_ Hermione nearly passed out in front of the man's desk. She gripped it tightly and stared at the officer, willing him to correct himself. Willing him to tell her that they'd been robbed…not murdered._

"_Most curious circumstances. No break and entry, no sign of struggle and no cause of death. It's like they just died for no reason, whatsoever. There have been other cases like it and we're all baffled, frankly."_

_They'd been murdered weeks ago and she was clueless…off hunting horcruxes instead of protecting her parents._

_Her father's voice rang in her mind. _"I don't want this family put in any danger."

_This was all her fault. Magic's fault. She'd still have her family if it weren't for magic. All her parents ever wanted were normal, safe lives for their little family. But magic took that all away from them…from her. _

xxx

"Uncle Ron, what's wrong?" exclaimed Davy as Ron stormed down the street towards their hotel, Davy held tightly in his arms.

"Stupid, bloody know-it-all cow and her Nancy boy _fiancé_, who does she think she is?" He continued to swear under his breath and barely noticed the people he was bumping into.

"Bloody hell, watch where you're going," snapped someone as Ron's shoulder clashed with a teenager.

"Stuff it, you bleeding wanker," yelled Ron.

"Uncle Ron!" cried Davy, his bottom lip quivering slightly.

Ron snapped out of his enraged stupor and noticed Davy's frightened expression.

His face quickly softened and he suddenly felt very guilty.

"Why are you so mad?" he asked.

"Don't worry," he muttered.

"Who's Hermione?"

"Forget about her," he said. "Let's go get some lunch."

Ron put Davy down and they walked, hand in hand, while Ron silently continued his tirade.

xxx

"Minzy, are you listening to a word I've said," cried Jeff.

Hermione blinked her eyes and looked at her fiancé. "Sorry, Jeff, I have to…I have to go. Lock up behind me, will you?" she said as she flipped her OPEN sign to CLOSED.

"Minzy!"

Hermione ignored him as she pushed past the door. She didn't know what to do with herself. A part of her wanted to run after Ron and plead for his forgiveness. Another part of her told her it was useless.

She had been so angry at the magical world after her parents' death. Her parents were only a target because she was a very prominent muggleborn witch. And she had been so careless with their safety—opting to chase danger instead of protecting her parents.

Ron had been there for her from the moment she flooed the Burrow with the news. He held her while she cried. He listened to her while she screamed and he gave her space when she needed to be alone.

But she couldn't handle it. It was suffocating being in his presence. He was so used to the pain and loss and yet she didn't think he understood that her pain was different. Her pain was laced with guilt and hatred for the very thing Ron represented—magic. Her hatred for magic consumed her every thought. She felt like her own body had betrayed her by allowing magic into her system. There were times when she wanted to drain her body of the traitorous blood.

She stopped using magic, hoping that would pacify her anger and suicidal thoughts. But magic was everywhere. Every time Ron flicked his wand to tidy up a room or summon a quill she felt the hatred resurge. Every time Harry trudged through the Burrow with his broom, to go on one of his own guilt-ridden flies, she felt the anger pulse through her veins. Magic was like breathing to Ron and Harry and all the Weasleys. And as long as she remained a part of their world, she couldn't escape it.

She had to leave.

xxx

_Hermione was in Ron's room, flinging clothes into her suitcase, tears streaming down her face. She needed to get out. She couldn't stay here a moment longer. The walls seemed to cave in on her and the only way out was to leave…or die. _

_Ron walked into the room and inhaled some air, sharply. "What are you doing, Hermione?"_

_She spun around, her face livid._

"_THEY'RE GONE, RON! GONE!" she screamed, her whole body shaking._

_Ron moved towards her quickly. "I know, Hermione, I'm sorry," whispered Ron, holding onto her hands._

"_They had nothing to do with any of this…nothing…why'd they kill them?" she whispered weakly. If she hadn't had magic, they'd still be alive._

_Ron shook his head. Hermione knew he had nothing to say. There was nothing to say._

"_I've got to leave," she said as she pulled her hands away from him and turned her back to him. She continued to throw things into her suitcase._

"_W-what do you mean?"_

"_I've got to get away. I need time to…I need to go, Ron." She tried to hold back another onslaught of angry tears._

"_Where? How long?" he said, desperately._

"_I don't know. Away from here."_

"_Away from me?" _

_Hermione could hear the fear in his question. She closed her eyes. He had lost so much. His remaining family was barely held together. And now she was going to leave him. Could she really do that to the man she loved?_

_Hermione wanted to pound her fist against his chest. Why did he have to be a wizard? She couldn't remove the magic from him and she couldn't function with that magic._

"_Away from magic," she finally said._

_Ron's voice choked. "H-how will I reach you?"_

"_You won't." She had to cut off all contact to the magical world. She could no longer live in fear for her sanity or her life._

xxx

Hermione arrived at a public library, her face stained with tears. She brushed them away roughly, as she entered the building and headed straight for the computers.

She tapped her feet impatiently as the computer processed her request slowly.

After leaving the Burrow, she'd found a room in London. As the months passed, she soon realized her mistake. She found herself murmuring spells of convenience without realizing that she was without a wand. She found herself looking out the window for an owl to swoop down and leave her a letter. She missed the Weasleys and Harry. And she missed Ron. She missed Ron so much that it started to overshadow her hatred for magic.

It took her over a year to work out her feelings and realize that magic was not the enemy. Magic was never the enemy. But it was too late. Every time she thought about knocking on the Burrow front door, she imagined the anger that would greet her. The Weasleys would never forgive her. Ron would never forgive her. She had made the biggest mistake of her life and she would have to live with the consequences.

By this time, she was in the process of selling her parents' dentistry business and buying a small bookstore in the heart of London with the help of a real estate agent, Jeffery Winslow. He was the anti-Ron. He had dirty blonde hair, brown eyes and long, piano fingers. He never swore and he'd rather watch a documentary than a comedy. He wore suits and spoke of philosophy and art. He didn't pick fights or lose his temper. He never had an insensitive moment. He was romantic. He played golf. He despised all other sports. He dined at expensive restaurants that served minuscule portions. He was a smooth talker and was never flustered. He was everything Ron was not.

And everything Hermione needed if she was going to forget about Ron.

Finally, the internet browser brought up the page she requested. She scrolled down the English Chess Federation webpage and finally found what she was looking for. They were holding the Junior Chess Championship at the Dorchester.

She leaned back in her chair, wondering what she was going to do with that information. She closed her eyes and remembered how she had reacted to discovering the book two years earlier.

xxx

_Hermione sat in the café, stirring her tea absently with a spoon as she waited for her friend from the bank, Neela Bhat, to arrive._

"_Sorry I'm late," said Neela as she sat in front of Hermione. "A client held me up. If only they could all be like you, eh?"_

_Hermione gave her an unenthusiastic half-smile and continued stirring her tea._

"_You planning on drinking that or just letting it go cold?"_

_Hermione shrugged her shoulders._

"_All right, out with it. What's going on? Did you and Jeff get into a row? I say it's about time. It's unnatural that you've never been in a strop with him. You start to think that there's nothing really there, you know?"_

_Hermione pulled her eyes away from her tea and stared at her friend._

"_What I say?" she asked as she looked over at the various teas and caffeinated drinks listed behind the cashier counter._

"_So out with it. Has he started to bore you yet? I'm telling you, how can you stand his continuous droning on about the market prices for this house or that shop?"_

"_Neela!" reproached Hermione._

"_Just being honest."_

"_As always," muttered Hermione._

"_That's why you like me so," said Neela, grinning._

_Hermione was suddenly reminded of Ginny. She closed her eyes. The stupid book. Ruined everything._

"_Come on Herms, tell me."_

_Hermione rummaged through her bag and pulled out the book. She slid it over to Neela._

_Neela looked down at the book and frowned. "You're in a spat over chess?"_

"_You know how I don't talk about my life before the bookshop much?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_Well, that's 'cause I'm trying to forget it."_

"_Why?"_

"_At first it was because I was so angry but now it's because I know I can never have it back, so I might as well try and move on."_

"_And this past life, it was about chess," she asked, raising an eyebrow._

_Hermione rolled her eyes, good-naturedly. She leaned forward and tapped her finger against Ron's name._

"_Ronald B. Weasley?"_

_Hermione nodded._

"_Oh, I've got it, an ex-boyfriend!" she said, excitedly._

_Hermione nodded slowly._

"_You loved him?"_

"_Like no one else," she muttered, trying to hold back the tears._

"_Then what happened?"_

"_I left him."_

"_Left him?"_

"_Just got up and dropped off the face of his world."_

_Neela cringed. "Ouch."_

"_Yeah," agreed Hermione. "And he isn't the forgiving sort. By the time I realized my mistake, I knew it was too late."_

"_Is he anything like Jeff?"_

"_The exact opposite, actually."_

"_I like him already."_

_Hermione groaned. "You're not making this any easier."_

"_Sorry. What are you going to do?"_

"_Nothing. I mean, what can I do? He's moved on. Look at the dedication."_

_Neela opened the book. "Who's Davy?"_

"_I don't know. A woman?"_

"_Come on, Hermione, a woman named Davy?"_

"_You never know," she said, defensively._

"_Maybe Davy's his kid."_

"_Oh, so much better," she muttered sarcastically. "Besides, he's only twenty, he's younger than me! He can't have a son."_

"_A best friend, then?"_

_Hermione shook her head. "I doubt it. His best friend isn't named Davy."_

"_Things change, it has been two years."_

"_Not Ron and Harry, no."_

"_I've got it." Neela smirked at Hermione._

"_What?"_

"_Davy's his boyfriend," she said, triumphantly._

_Hermione barked out a laugh. "Ron, gay? Never."_

"_You never know. Maybe you turned him off women for life." Neela sounded slightly amused._

"_Come off it," she said, suddenly doubting herself._

_Neela shrugged her shoulders. "What I'm trying to say is that you'll never know unless you talk to him."_

_Hermione sighed. "It's not that easy."_

"_You make things too complicated, Herms."_

"_It is too complicated."_

xxx

She sighed softly as her eyes roamed the library. She remembered when one of her employees asked if he could change the display window. Hermione had told him not to take _Pawn to Queen_ out of the display. She couldn't bear to remove it from the honoured spot. And so it remained. Hermione dusted it off periodically, but she never removed it. She knew her employees and Jeff thought her behaviour was odd but they never said anything.

None of them knew that she kept a copy locked in her bedside table drawer. It was her way to feel close to Ron, even as she tried to forget him.

And now, that book in the display window had brought Ron back to her. She shivered as she thought about the coincidence. Hadn't she always said she didn't believe in coincidences?

And Davy. Davy was his son. She didn't want to believe it. She closed her eyes again, remembering the adorable boy's red hair and blue eyes. She was such an idiot.

She shook her head. She wasn't going to run away from Ron again. Not after fate literally shoved them together in her little bookshop. Even if it meant finding out he had moved on, she had to talk to him

xxx

It was nearly 9pm by the time she had finally plucked up the courage to go the Dorchester.

Her hand was poised at the door to his suite. She continued lowering and raising her hand to the door. Finally, after taking a deep breath, she knocked on it.

"I'll get it," came the little boy's voice from inside the suite.

She could hear Ron replying in a stern voice. "Davy, don't open the door. I'll be out of the bathroom in a second."

Obviously, the boy didn't listen because as soon as the door opened she had to lower her eyes to see Davy.

"Oh, it's you," he said grumpily.

Hermione felt slightly hurt.

"Davy, what have I said about opening the door!" scolded Ron as he entered the room.

Davy shifted his feet and looked at him sheepishly.

"Well?" Ron had crossed his arms in front of him and looked at the child, expectantly. That's when he noticed Hermione in the doorway.

"You are not allowed to open the door, Davy. You don't know who's on the other side." Davy crossed his arms like Ron and tried to mimic Ron's deeper voice.

Ron was glaring at Hermione as Davy recited the rule.

Hermione watched the transaction in awe.

"That's right," Ron said, forcing his eyes back on the boy. "It's passed your bedtime. Go on, off to bed."

"But…"

"No buts."

"I'm not sleepy."

"I don't care. If you want to go to the carnival with Uncle Dean tomorrow, you will go to bed now."

"But you promised!"

"And I'll keep my promise. Now go to bed."

Davy stomped his little foot. It was actually rather cute. "You're a meanie!"

Ron raised an eyebrow. "Bed."

Instead of going of to bed, he turned and looked angrily at Hermione. "And it's all your fault!" he cried. "I hate you!"

"Davy, you don't talk to people like that!"

"But I do," he muttered crossly.

Ron gave his a warning look.

Davy looked at Ron, sadly. "Aren't you going to tuck me in?"

Ron's face softened. "Of course I'm going to tuck you in. Come here squirt."

Davy smiled and took Ron's hand. Ron glared at Hermione once more before they disappeared into the bedroom.

Five minutes had passed, and Hermione wondered if Ron was planning to come back to the sitting room or not.

She replayed the little father and son scene in her head as she waited. Ron was a good father and Davy obviously loved him very much. The Ron she remembered would have started yelling at her regardless of who was in the room.

But now, Davy was his first priority. As it should be, she thought, almost sadly.

Finally, Ron reemerged from the room.

"What do you want?" he asked, coldly.

"Ron…" she started, not knowing what exactly she was going to say.

"I don't need to hear anything you have to say," he said through gritted teeth. She noticed that he was keeping the volume of his voice down.

"Please, just give me a chance," she pleaded.

"I think you should leave, Hermione." He spat out her name.

"I'm not leaving."

Ron laughed sarcastically. "That's what you do best, Hermione, leave."

Hermione cringed. She deserved that.

"Ron…"

"LEAVE! Get out of my life! The nerve…you coming here…what about that bloody fiancé of yours? You've moved on with your life and so have I."

"I can see," she muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Suddenly Hermione felt angry. What was he playing at? Pretending to be clueless. She had refused to think about what Davy in Ron's life meant but now it was pouring out.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she mocked Ron. "That you went off and shagged the first pair of legs that passed you after I left."

Ron just gapped at her. "You're bloody mad, woman!"

"What, it must have been less than a week before you were in some slag's knickers!"

Ron's face contracted with anger. He moved to the bedroom door, opened it slightly and peeked in. After closing the door again, he placed a silencing charm on the room.

"How dare you come in here and call me some kind of man-whore with Davy in the next room," he roared, his inhibitions gone now that Davy couldn't hear them.

Hermione bit her lip; she didn't want Davy to hear her debase his father like that. But now that the charm was on the door, she just continued.

"But that's exactly what you are! I'm not dense, Ron, that boy of yours can't be younger than four. That means you went and knocked up some woman right after we broke up!"

Ron looked slightly confused for a moment and then suddenly he laughed softly to himself, as if he just realized something. Hermione wished she knew what was going through his head.

"_After we broke up_," he repeated, darkly. "WHAT BREAK-UP? As I recall it, you just left. Or did I miss the break-up?"

Hermione cringed again. Things weren't going the way she had planned.

"So that means you can go shack up with some tart? What if I came back in a few days?"

Ron raised an eyebrow and laughed loudly. "You didn't come back, Hermione. It's been four years!"

"It's the principle of the matter," she said lamely.

"Principles? You want to lecture _me_ about principles? That's just bloody rich! But you've always been like that, haven't you? Stick up your arse, insufferable know-it-all."

Hermione gasped. "At least I don't let some pathetic, dense eighteen-year-old boy get me pregnant!" she screamed.

Ron shook with anger.

"So where is this woman? Huh? Where is she?"

"None of your fucking business," he snapped.

Hermione opened her mouth to retort but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Ron glared at the door before walking over and yanking the door open. "What?"

"Whoa mate, just me," greeted Harry.

Hermione's heart seemed to leap into her throat at the sound of his voice.

"And moi," piped in a girl with a French accent. Hermione recognized her as Fleur's younger sister, Gabrielle Delacour.

"What are you doing here?" said Ron in a strained voice.

"Well, actually, Gin's got this emergency meet with her team and we thought that we could have a night out, just us mates, you, me, Dean and Neville. I heard Muggle London has quite the nightlife."

Hermione felt painfully nostalgic as he heard her classmates' names.

"And I 'as come to offer babysitting, no?" said Gabrielle, sweetly.

"Gabs, I didn't know you were in England," said Ron, bewildered.

"I 'as come to keep Fleur company, now that she is taking time from work. Now Bill back from work so I come with 'Arry."

"Isn't she sweet?" said Harry.

Hermione could see him nodding.

"This isn't a good time, Harry, I mean, I can't afford to get pissed."

Harry waved his hand. "You said anything about getting piss drunk. I'm thinking just a couple of drinks at a pub, maybe a bit of pool."

"Pool?"

"Muggle game. Not that I've ever played it but I've heard it's fun. Come on, Ron. You'll be home before Davy even notices you're gone. You've got to live life a bit more, mate."

Ron groaned.

"What are you hiding in there?" asked Harry, noticing that Ron was holding the door tightly so that they couldn't see inside.

Hermione held her breath as Harry forced the door open.

"What have you got back…" His voice trailed off as his eyes fell of her.

"Hermione?"

Tears sprang to her eyes as she nodded mutely.

Harry looked at Ron. "Ron? What's going on? Have you been seeing her and not telling me or something?"

"No, of course not."

"You two have been rowing, haven't you?" he said, noticing their red faces.

"What else," muttered Ron.

He had turned his attention back to Hermione, anger slowly creeping into his expression.

Hermione sighed. Not even Harry was going to accept her. But then again, he'd always taken Ron's side.

Ron grabbed his arm before Harry could say anything.

"I think I'll take you up on that offer, Gabs, if you don't mind."

"Not at all," said Gabrielle as she eyed Hermione suspiciously.

"Well, it looks like you'll have to leave, seeing as I'm going out," Ron said, addressing Hermione coldly.

Hermione sobbed softly before she fled the room. She sprinted down the stairs, not bothering to wait for the elevator. Finally, she found a restroom. She locked herself into a cubicle and broke down completely.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was reminded of the incident in her first year when she locked herself in the girls' loo after Ron had said something nasty. She doubted that a troll would come this time and save her from her loneliness.

* * *

**A/N:** I hope I was able to do justice to Hermione's side of the story because I do love her :D. The scene where she leaves Ron is actual a repeat from the first chapter but from Hermione POV instead of Ron's (Ron's reaction to their fight in the next chapter). And I'd love to hear what you thought about the row because I don't think I've ever had to write a major blowout between these two before and we all know they are famous for it.

I've been updating so quickly because it's reading week for me so I've had a week off school. Hopefully, I'll still be able to update regularly (though maybe not as quick as within two days).

Oh, and about Hermione using the internet…it's probably 1992/1993, so I figure it's just starting to become popular but really slow.

Next up: Ron rants, Harry grumbles and Ginny yells. Hermione is lost. Davy is confused. And a bit of 'After Hermione, Ron's (nonexistent) love life, a history' ;).

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed :D. Let me know what you think. Weasleygirl-ca.

**To my anonymous reviewer:**

**Sandy:** Yeah, it was fun to think to the characters lives after the war :D.Thanks so much for the review.

x

**Disclaimer: **J.K.R. created it, we play in it.


	6. The Burrow

**Disclaimer**: Anything you recognize belongs to J.K. Rowling.

**A/N: **I don't even think I can apologize for my abysmal delay between chapters. Can you even call it a delay? I wonder if my previous readers even remember this story. I had exams, then I graduated and got my first real job and then DH came out and I'll stop making excuses now. But I apologize in advanced for my rustiness…it has been a long time

**A very quick recap**: Hermione barged into Ron's hotel room, wanting to try to make amends but ended up in blows over her assumption that Ron was Davy's father. They yelled, Hermione left in tears and Ron and Harry left to have a night out with the boys while Gabrielle babysat Davy.

**The Burrow **

Harry sat opposite to Ron as he aimlessly swirled his muggle beer in his hand.

"This stuff tastes like piss," muttered Ron.

"That's because it is," said Dean as he pushed his way past a small crowd. "You need a Guinness, mate."

Harry snapped his eyes away from Ron and gave Dean a strained smile.

"What's the matter?" asked Dean.

Harry turned back to Ron. Ron hadn't clued Harry in on how Hermione ended up in his hotel room but he didn't know if Ron wanted to share this new development with Dean or Neville just yet.

"Where's Neville?" Harry asked instead.

"Not too sure if he'll make it. I think I interrupted a bit of a spat between him and Parvati. You know how it is with them; it's all about the makeup shag."

Harry chuckled lightly.

"Who does she think she is? The nerve, just walking in to my room and calling _me _some sort of man-whore," Ron suddenly yelled, banging his beer down on the table.

A few of the patrons turned to look at Ron curiously.

Dean looked slightly startled. "What the hell is he on about?" he whispered to Harry.

"She left me. She's the one with the bloody fiancé! And I'm the effing screw-up?"

"Whoa, mate, what's this all about?" interrupted Dean.

"I found Ron having a row with Hermione in his hotel room," explained Harry, seeing no point in staying quiet about the incident now.

"Are you serious? Ron, you've been seeing _her_ and didn't say anything?"

"That's what I said," muttered Harry.

"Come off it! You know I haven't been seeing her. I'm not mental! I bumped into her at some bookstore she owns."

Dean slid into the booth and stared at Ron with a mixture of curiosity and disgust. "And she has a fiancé?"

Ron nodded.

"And she called you a…"

"She thinks Davy is my son. Took one look at him and made assumptions."

"And you didn't bother to correct her?" asked Harry.

"Why should I? Let her think what she wants. I'm never seeing her again."

Harry sighed as he cradled his own drink. Hermione's momentary reappearance in their lives seemed to bring back all the awful memories that followed the end of the war. Unsurprisingly, Ron had not taken well to Hermione's sudden departure. With every thing they were all experiencing at the time, Harry couldn't easily forgive her.

"I'm thinking you'll be needing that Guinness," muttered Dean.

"No," said Harry, almost sternly. "He's got the Juniors tomorrow. He doesn't need a hangover on top of everything else."

"Urgh, I should get the hell out of here if I'm going to even function tomorrow," said Ron as he eyed his empty beer bottle.

Dean looked a bit disappointed but nodded. "Reckon you should just sleep it off. Hopefully Hermione will be a distant memory in the morning."

Ron snorted. "Here's hoping." He raised his bottle and chimed it with Dean's glass. "See you lot tomorrow then."

Harry watched as Ron pushed his way through the crowd before turning to Dean.

"So fill me in then," said Dean before taking a swig of his drink.

"I don't know much more. Apparently Hermione thinks Ron slept with a girl right after she left…because she thinks Davy is Ron's son."

Dean's features contracted in anger. "She honestly thinks she's better than him or something. Ron can't move on with his life but she can? It's her bloody fault that his love life is next to nothing.

xxx

_Davy and Jenny slept beside each other curled up on a couch. Ron was watching Jenny as her mum attended some party that evening. _

_Harry sat in another couch reading over a parchment. _

_"What you reading?" asked Ron as he waved his wand, sending all the scattered toys up the stairs and into Davy's room. _

_"Auror manual…I swear, sometimes it seems like they spend more time writing these bloody manuals than anything else." _

_"Reckon you can change that when you work your way up," said Ron as he heard a knock on the door. _

_"Who said anything about working my way up…I like the frontline." _

_Ron moved towards the kitchen as the rapping continued on the kitchen door. "You can have both, I'm sure." _

_Harry heard Ron opened the door and greet Jenny's mum, Sandra, as she stomped her feet to get the snow out of her boots. _

_"Who would have thought we'd get this much snow, it's ridicules, we're not __Canada__ for Merlin's sake." _

_Ron chuckled. "The kids love it. Did you see the snowman outside? Davy's going to insist that I don't let it melt when it gets warmer." _

_Sandra laughed seductively. _

_Harry cringed. He really didn't like that woman. She couldn't seem to keep her hands off Ron and Ron was absolutely clueless to it. _

_Ron was so uncomfortable with women his own age…they all seemed to remind him of Hermione…and what Hermione did to him. Sandra, to him, was a harmless middle-aged woman who enjoyed talking about the kids. _

_Harry knew Sandra's son, a son that was older than Ron was. He worked at the Ministry…annoying bloke, that one. The only amiable member of the Wittle family seemed to be two-year-old Jenny. _

_Harry could no longer hear what they were saying and he contemplated going into the kitchen just in case he needed to mediate a sticky situation. Ron might be clueless but Harry certainly wasn't. _

_Shaking his head at his paranoia, he settled further into the couch and continued reading. _

_A few minutes passed before Harry heard the clang of pans and Ron exclaiming, "What the hell do you think your doing?" followed by a loud slap that seemed to ring through the entire house. _

_Ron was yelling at her to get out of his house while Harry scrambled out of the couch. _

_Sandra came charging into the sitting room, her face incised with anger. She looked at Harry, startled. _

_Then, as if on demand, tears formed in her eyes as she gathered her sleeping daughter in her arms. _

_"THAT…THAT…BASTARD," she yelled. "That bastard just tried to…tried to take advantage of me! An older woman! Just because he might be lonely doesn't mean he can…and you…Harry Potter! You of all people, I would think you would pick better friends than the likes of him," she said shrilly as she pointed a finger at a stunned Ron. "No wonder Hermione Granger left you!" _

_Davy sat up in the couch and started crying as the woman yelled. _

_Sandra glared at Ron one last time before storming out of the house and slamming the fragile kitchen door behind her. _

_Ron was shaking slightly with what seemed to be anger and shock. He looked at Harry desperately, fear in his eyes, thinking that Harry would believe Sandra. "She's…she's lying Harry! You've got to believe me! I would never…never!" _

_"It's okay, Ron, calm down. I know…Merlin, she slapped you quite hard," he said, noticing his reddening cheek. _

_"It's nothing," murmured Ron as he scooped Davy into his arms. "Shh, Davy boy, it's okay, everything is okay." He walked up and down the length of the room, rubbing the child's back. "Shh." _

_Davy's eyes slowly closed as he drifted off to sleep. _

_"Ron, what actually happened?" asked Harry as he took Davy out of his arms and placed him back onto the couch. _

_Ron shuddered. "She made an advance on me," he said, sounding mortified. "I tried to turn her down politely but she wasn't taking no for an answer. I moved away and she fell into the hanging pots; she slapped me and then accused _me_ of making the advance!" _

_"She's been working up to this for a while now, mate," Harry said gingerly. "I should have warned you but I didn't think you'd believe me." _

_"Urg, I'm such an idiot," Ron said as he dropped into a chair. "I can't ever show my face at that daycare again…she'll probably start spreading rumours. Shit, this is bad, Harry." _

_Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were both household names after the demise of Voldemort. When Hermione left Ron, the story made the cover of Witch Weekly. Ron started receiving owl after owl from sympathetic women—they attacked Hermione, calling her all kinds of awful things, they offered Ron a shoulder to cry on and some even asked Ron out on dates. _

_Ron took to chucking them in the fire after the first few days. And whenever Harry could, he destroyed them before Ron even knew about them. _

_Now, if anyone got wind of Sandra's accusation, it would start all over again but Harry was sure the letters would be reminiscent of the letters Hermione received after the Witch Weekly article Skeeter wrote back in their forth year. _

_"We just have to steer clear of her…she said what she said so that she didn't look bad. She didn't even know I was here. She wouldn't have accused you if you were alone." _

_"Harry, I need to get out for a bit, maybe go for a fly. Can you—." _

_"Go on, get out of here, I'll stay with Davy." _

_Ron gave him a grateful smile before disapparting. _

xxx

Ron apparated into his hotel room to find Gabrielle painting her toenails with her wand.

"You are 'ome early, Ron," greeted his sister-in-law.

"Yeah, didn't feel much like socializing. Thanks for watching Davy."

"Anytime, Ron. Oh and I forgot to tell you. Beel and Fleur want us over for dinner tomorrow, oui."

"The whole family?"

"No, just us…I has suspected them wanting to ask us to be godparents."

Ron smiled despite his foul mood. He was so excited about the arrival of Bill and Fleur's child. If only his whole family could witness the emerging generation of Weasleys.

xxx

_He appeared at his family's gravesite before sinking to the ground and drawing his knees up to his chest. _

_Two years had gone by since the series of tragedies occurred after the Second War and yet, Ron couldn't fully let go of the losses in the family and Hermione's departure. He tried to deny any ill effects of Hermione's leaving but everyone could see that Ron was a lonely man who buried himself between work and diapers. _

_Hermione's betrayal seemed to uproot all those underlying insecurities that he had always carried. He wasn't a good enough reason for Hermione to stay. He couldn't comfort her like she needed to be comforted and so she left him. After _years_ of friendship and love, he wasn't important enough for her to stay. He was never good enough for her. _

_"Hey little brother," came a familiar voice. _

_He turned his head to see Percy sitting beside him. _

_Ron shook his head. "You're not real." _

_"I'm as real as a dead man can be, I suppose," replied Percy. _

_Ron snorted. "Real comforting. Says much about my sanity." _

_"You're not insane. I don't think there's anything wrong with talking to your dead brother at his gravestone. Reckon that's why people visit these places." _

_Ron shrugged his shoulders. _

_"So, what brings you here?" _

_"What? I can't just come to see my family?" _

_"Sure you do but you look like something's wrong." _

_Ron sighed. "Just feeling generally shitty I guess." _

_"Hmm, anything to do with a certain witch?" _

_"Not everything is about Hermione," he snapped angrily. _

_"Hey, you're the one who mentioned Hermione, I just said witch." _

_Ron glared at Percy. "Hermione means nothing to me, Perce." _

_Percy frowned. "I guess I meant nothing when I deserted you." _

_Ron shoved his brother lightly. "It's in the past Percy. You mean so much to me. Even when you left, you meant something. Otherwise I wouldn't have been so mad." _

_"Then there's still hope for you and Hermione." _

_"I don't need Hermione." _

_"You need someone, Ron. You can't be alone forever." _

_"I'm not alone. I have Harry, and the family and Davy." _

_Percy looked away longingly. "How's my little boy?" _

_Ron smiled for the first time since he arrived at the gravesite. "He's great, Perce. Quite the little genius, much like his dad…without being pompous, of course." _

_"Oh, delightful," he replied sarcastically before becoming sincere. " I'm so glad you're there for him. I couldn't have left him in better hands." _

_Ron was about to say something when another voice interrupted him. "Who were you talking to?" _

_Ron jumped to his feet to see a young brunette muggle woman staring back at him curiously. _

_"Uh, um…" He glanced at Percy's gravestone. "My brother," he replied, opting to be honest, as it seemed the least insane explanation. _

_"I always wondered who the Weasleys were. I pass this spot everyday on my evening jog. Do you live around here?" _

_"Uh, yeah, you?" _

_"In the town. Never seen you there. I would have noticed a tall redhead." _

_"I don't go into town often." _

_She examined the graves closely before saying, "Sorry about your losses." _

_Ron nodded. _

_"Well, are you staying here long?" _

_Ron shook his head. "I should head back home." _

_"Why don't you come into town, have a drink with me." _

_Ron looked at her, surprised at her forwardness. _

_"You are legal right? Old Jim who runs the pub's a bit touchy on the matter for some odd reason…I mean honestly, I've been able to hold my own liquor since I was fourteen!" _

_"Sure, why not," he said, suddenly feeling the urge to shove any thoughts of Hermione to the very corner of his mind and finally move on with his life. _

_"I'm __Marina__ by the way." _

_"Ron. Ron Weasley." _

xxx

Nothing Harry said seemed to curb Ginny Weasley's legendary temper. The nerve of her former friend, she thought, angrily, as she walked purposely through the streets of muggle London.

She halted at the quaint children's bookstore. Without a moment's hesitance, she pushed passed the door and caught the attention of the first person she saw.

"You work here?" she said in an impatient voice.

"Um, yes," answered the teenager. "Looking for anything in particular?"

"Hermione Granger."

The boy shifted his feet. "She's not here at the moment."

Ginny rolled her eyes had his blatant inability to lie. "Is she back there then?" she asked, pointing at a door labeled "Employees Only".

"You can't go back there," he called out as she walked towards the door.

"Miss—," he started lamely. The rest of his sentence was lost to Ginny as the door shut behind her. She stood in the storage room and instantly caught sight of the object of her anger.

Hermione sat, hunched over some papers at a desk in the far corner. Without lifting her head she said, "Jimmy, what did I say. I have a lot of work and I really don't want any interruptions."

Jimmy entered right behind Ginny. "I tried to stop her, Hermione, but she wouldn't listen," defended the teenager.

She lifted her head instantly and sighed in resignation at the sight of her fiery friend. Hermione's eyes were slightly puffy and she looked like she hadn't slept in ages.

"It's all right, Jimmy. Just leave us be and take care of the front will you?"

Jimmy nodded eagerly and left, seemingly glad to avoid one of Hermione's longwinded lectures.

"What are you doing here?" asked Hermione, despite both of them knowing the reason for Ginny's unexpected visit.

"I should be asking what the hell you were doing in my brother's hotel room last night," said Ginny through gritted teeth.

"Ginny, please, don't yell here. This is my store. I can't afford to—"

Ginny cut her off by grabbing her arm and pulling her into a side-along apparation.

xxx

Hermione bent over, feeling nauseated. It had been years since she had used magic to travel and the rush of apparation did not sit well with her.

"What were you thinking," cried Hermione angrily. She looked up to see where they were and gasped in recognition. They were standing in the middle of the Burrow lounge.

"Not to worry, Hermione," started Ginny, sarcastically. "Harry is at work, Ron and Davy are in London and Mum's at Bill's place. No one else to berate you."

"Bill's place? Bill is—"

"Bill? He's been out of a coma for two years now, not that you would care, Hermione."

Hermione tried to protest but couldn't find the right words. She looked around the familiar surroundings. The Burrow, which had once been so welcoming now made Hermione apprehensive.

Ron's chess set sat on the battered coffee table beside an array of rolled and unrolled parchments. Large defense books lay sprawled out on one couch and a toy broom leaned against the other couch.

Famous Wizards cards were scattered on the floor beside the table. Hermione caught sight of Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley cards partly hidden between Albus Dumbledore and Montague Knightley, the famous Wizard Chess Champion. Hermione knew there was a Hermione card but she doubted Ron's boy would have one of those.

Ginny glanced down to see what Hermione was looking at. "Davy has taken over and expanded Ron's collection," she explained.

Hermione tensed.

"Of course, that's why we're here. After leaving him, you have the nerve to accuse my brother of all sorts of shite," she yelled.

Ginny pointed an accusing finger at her.

"You fucking left him; you come to his hotel room with a rock on your finger and accused _him_ of being unfaithful! Accused him of not waiting!"

"I was wrong," Hermione murmured, hating how small Ginny made her feel. "But I did not sleep with Jeff right after I left. I-I was heartbroken but I couldn't-couldn't stay. The magic…it was…it was…I can't explain it, you wouldn't understand it."

"Bollocks! Do you understand being controlled by Tom Riddle? Did that stop me from talking to you about it? Just because you think he can't understand doesn't mean you get up and leave the one person who loved you to no end!"

Hermione cringed at Ginny's use of past tense in reference to Ron's love for her—not that she expected anything else. After all, she was the one with the diamond on her finger.

"I just…I was wrong, Ginny. What else can I say? I wish I hadn't…everyday, I regret what I did."

"It's too late," hissed Ginny.

Hermione bowed her head.

"Why did you go to his hotel room? Just to yell at him?"

"I didn't, I swear, Ginny. I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to explain…but you know how it is with us. We end up in blows before a decent word gets by. I just…I couldn't believe how quickly he moved on. I mean I know I'm the one at fault, I'm not delusional. I know this sounds selfish, but I thought…I thought he'd wait to see if I came back, just for a bit at least."

Slap. The sound of Ginny's hand meeting Hermione's cheek rang through the room. Hermione stepped back in shock as her own hand cradled her reddening cheek.

"You selfish cow," Ginny shrieked. "You got what you wanted. You're like an effing ghost hovering over him for the past four years. Somebody gets close enough to him and he instantly starts to close up, not wanting to be hurt. And of course, his fears are justified when they leave him because they can't deal with the brick wall he puts up."

xxx

_"Don't mope about. This is entirely your fault," snapped Ginny as she watched her brother stare absently at his chess set. _

_"Shut it," he muttered. He gathered the pieces into the box and turned to leave the room. _

_"You pushed __Marina__ away. After three months, I thought you two were actually heading somewhere. Get over your commitment issues, Ron, or remain a bachelor forever. Just don't make the rest of us miserable." _

_Ron said nothing as he left the room. Ginny sighed. She didn't mean to sound so harsh. She was just sick and tired of seeing Ron miserable. _

xxx

Hermione brushed away the tears that dripped from her nose.

Ginny suddenly looked exhausted. She turned her back and faced the fireplace. "I have to go. I've got a team meet."

Hermione snapped out her thoughts. "How am I supposed to get back?"

"Last time I checked, you didn't need a wand to use the floo network," Ginny snapped before disappearing.

Hermione let out a frustrated sigh. If Ron hadn't walked into the bookstore, Hermione would have easily continued her mundane existence, secretly imagining what her life could have been with Ron, Harry and the Weasleys.

She had hoped that Ron would walk back into her life and she had deluded herself into thinking that if they ever did cross paths, it would be because he was seeking her out. She laughed bitterly at the thought.

She never fathomed that he'd coincidently stroll into her tiny children's bookshop. But then again, she never thought that he'd write a book until two years ago.

Maybe forgiveness was a possibility, she thought fleetingly. She found herself gravitating towards Ron's room as her mind wondered through her thoughts.

She pushed passed the door and stepped back, startled by the pale yellow walls and the absence of the painfully bright orange. Her eyes swept through the room and she quickly realized that the room now belonged solely to Harry.

Defense Against the Dark Arts books lined his shelves. Auror robes were slung over his chair. She saw a framed picture of Harry's parents on his desk, along with pictures of Harry with Ginny, Ron, his old roommates, Sirius, the Weasleys and Davy displayed in various places in the room. She even noticed a small poster of the Holyhead Harpies, with Ginny featured in the centre, holding a quaffle, plastered on the side of his bookshelf.

She slowly closed the door and instinctively found herself moving towards the twins' old room. Her hunch was right. The room was furnished the same as she remembered—with two of everything. But other than that, the twins' old room had turned into a hybrid between a young man's room and a child's nursery.

Ministry robes lay haphazardly on a bed with orange covers, while a crisp set of small muggle clothes lay neatly on the other bed. So he worked for the ministry, she thought.

Tons of photos of all the Weasleys (Davy included) and Harry were hanging on the walls—photos of the Weasleys as kids, Ron's parents, Harry and Ron, Ron and Davy, Ron and his roommates, Charlie riding a dragon, a 7th year Percy, standing proudly in his school robes, his head boy badge pinned to the material. Hermione imagined that both boys—Ron and Harry—had become obsessed with photos after the loss of so many people close to them.

On Ron's desk, amongst scattered pieces of parchment and quills, Hermione found a framed photo of Harry and Ron, grinning, with their arms slung around Ginny, who stood beaming in her Holyhead Harpies robes, holding up a Quidditch Cup.

Ron's bookshelf was laden with books on chess and chess trophies with Ron's name on them. She also saw two muggle chess sets, tons of scrolls in a storage bin on the shelf and a couple of framed photos of Ron and Davy.

Davy's bookshelf seemed to be half occupied by old toys and half filled with various muggle and wizard books. On his bedside table, she found another photo of Ron and Davy and more peculiar, an old photo of Percy and his old girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater at Hogwarts.

Odd, she thought, Ron must have gone through Percy's old school things to find that. She briefly wondered why such a photo sat on the little boy's bedside table before she heard a noise from downstairs.

Hermione's heart started to race. She should have just left when Ginny had left. She had no idea who was down there. She didn't know what was worse—a second meeting with Ron so soon after their last or bumping into his mother. She wasn't ready to face the infamous temper, especially one stemming from the pain she cost one of her children. If Ginny's sisterly anger was any indication, she didn't want to even imagine Molly's maternal rage.

She hastily exited the room and weighed her options. She didn't have a wand to make a quick and unseen departure. Her only option was to hide or sneak downstairs and exit through the back entrance. Deciding to take her chances with the backdoor, she slowly crept down the first flight of stairs.

"Alright, I got to get going, big date and all," said a nervous-sounding voice that Hermione vaguely remembered.

She heard a chuckle in response. "Just don't do what I did, and you'll be fine, mate," came an all too familiar voice.

"Yeah," piped in a child. "Go on Ferris wheel. We saw lots of yuckies snogging on Ferris wheel, Uncle Harry." He made a gagging sound as Harry and the other man, who Hermione finally recognized as Dean, laughed at the child's innocent observation.

"Me glad you and Auntie Ginny don't snog in public," he said. "It's indecent."

The two men howled in laughter. "He sounds so much like Percy, yet just like Ron. I didn't think it was possible," said Harry in-between laughs.

Dean must have nodded, because Hermione didn't hear a reply.

"What's so funny?" asked a bemused Davy.

"You go on upstairs and get changed. There's some clothes set out for you on your bed," said Harry. "We don't want to be late for the tournament."

"Alright, then," replied Davy. "Thanks for taking me to the carnival, Uncle Dean."

"Anytime, bud."

Hermione looked around, panicked. The kid was headed right for her and she had nowhere to go. She berated herself yet again for finding herself stalling so that she could steal moments of the lives she wished she was apart of. She could have been long gone if she wasn't eavesdropping over the side of the banister.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" snapped the tiny version of Ron as he stared up at her from the bottom of the flight. He really did sound like Ron, she thought.

"If your grandmother heard that language coming from you, she'd go mental on your Uncle—." Harry stopped abruptly as Hermione came into his view.

"Hermione," he said in shock.

"Ginny brought me here and then left without taking me back to the store. I was just about to floo to the Leaky Cauldron," she started, trying to rush her explanation.

"There is fireplace. Bye, have a happy life," said the boy, sarcastically.

"Davy," Harry said, warningly.

Davy stuck his tongue out at Hermione before running up the stairs to his room.

Harry moved out of the way to let Hermione come down the stairs and into the family room.

Unwanted tears threatened to escape as she avoided his hard gaze.

"I wish I could just forget everything and go back to the way we were before," Harry said, breaking the awkward silence. "I've missed you."

Hermione looked at him hopefully.

"But I can't understand how you could have done what you did. No matter how I look at it, no matter how hard I try to understand your point of view, I just can't. All I have to do is catch Ron in a moment of grief or loneliness, when he doesn't think anyone is watching, to know that I could never understand your decision."

Hermione sobbed softly and nodded. She turned towards the fireplace and placed her hand over the flowerpot that she knew contained the floo powder. Harry was by far, the most forgiving person in the Weasley household, which wasn't saying much about the level of forgiveness at the Burrow. But if Harry could never find it in himself to forgive her, she had to resign herself to her hollow life.

Harry grabbed Hermione's arm. "This is your chance, Hermione."

"Chance for what?" she asked softly, her back still facing Harry.

"Your chance to make me understand."

"You just said…"

"I could never understand on my own. But you're the one who made the decision and you're here now, so you have a chance, if you want it."

"What's the point?" she said, finally turning around. "He'll never forgive me. None of you will."

"Do you love that man the way you loved Ron?" he asked, gesturing to the absurdly large diamond on her finger.

Hermione couldn't bring herself to answer the question.

But her silence was answer enough for Harry. "Then there's a point. Despite it all, you are the only non-related woman he truly loved. It's getting him to trust that love again that will be the challenge…among other things."

Hermione felt hope stirring deep within her as she processed Harry's words. Would Harry forgive her? Would Ron?

And then she thought about Davy.

"What about Davy? He hates me."

"He only hates you because you upset Ron and he's never seen Ron that upset. Ron usually doesn't let Davy see him that upset."

"What about Davy's mother? Isn't she around?" Now that Hermione thought about it, she hadn't seen any pictures of a woman that could be Davy's mother in his room.

Harry looked at her, confused for a moment before realization graced his face. "Ginny didn't set you straight then, did she? That figures."

Hermione gave him a quizzical look.

"For someone who lives by the facts, you sure do jump to conclusions."

"What do you mean?"

"Davy isn't Ron's son, not technically, anyway," answered Harry.

Hermione could only imagine the look of shock and the hint of relief that graced her face to cause Harry to shake his head the way he was.

It didn't make any sense. He looked exactly like him. They acted like father and son. He dedicated his book to Davy.

"But…but then who's son…I mean, it can't be yours and Ginny's, he called you uncle. Can't be Bill's. Fleur wasn't pregnant when Bill went into the coma. One of the twins? Why isn't he living with them, then?"

Hermione found herself moving to the couch. She need to sit down. Her mind was swimming with this new revelation. And she'd been absolutely nasty to him in the hotel, she thought, dismally.

Harry sighed. "He's Percy's son. Percy and Penelope Clearwater's son."

Hermione gasped as her hand flew to her mouth and her eyes widened.

"Ron got a floo a few weeks after you left, saying that there was a woman at a muggle hospital asking for a Weasley. Ron went, found Penelope in the midst of childbirth. She'd been in hiding ever since Percy turned coat on the Ministry and didn't even know that he had died."

Hermione shook her head in disbelief.

"Ron was there when Davy was born. He was there when Penelope died and he promised her that he'd take care of Davy."

Hermione could only imagine what it must have been like to bring home his dead brother's newborn child.

"He's an amazing father, Hermione. Davy's our miracle. He brought Molly back from the brink of insanity and kept Ron from it."

Hermione's eyes glistened with unshed tears. She had been so wrong. She had been so horrid.

She remembered the photo of Percy and Penelope on the boy's bedside table. Why had she jumped to her own conclusions? And what right did she have to pass judgment on Ron in the first place. She buried her head in her hands.

She could hear Davy's footfalls as he came down the stairs.

"What she still doing here?" she heard the boy say.

"You know, there's a bit of a chill out today. Grab a jumper and we'll be on our way, kay, buddy?"

"All right," he said, his eyes glaring at Hermione as she lifted her head to look at him.

He turned around and headed back up the stairs.

"Ron's judging the muggle chess tournament today."

"I know," she said, softly.

"Davy wants to compete as soon as he's old enough. We'll have to continue this conversation later."

Hermione nodded.

"Ginny's leaving tomorrow morning with her team. Shall we meet for lunch? We can meet at your bookshop and go from there."

Hermione smiled hopefully. "That sounds good, Harry."

"I'm not promising anything, Hermione. We're just talking."

"I know," said Hermione as she reached for the floo powder.

Davy came bounding down in an olive green jumper with a large 'D' knitted in the centre just as Hermione disappeared into the flames.

* * *

**Thank** **you quidditch7 **

**Next up**: Will Harry forgive Hermione? Will he try to initiate reconciliation between Hermione and the rest of the Weasleys?

**A/N: **Percy is not a ghost. He is in Ron's mind. If you've ever watched Roswell, you know what I mean.

Thanks to all my lovely reviewers. Wonders if they will come back

**P.S. **Deathly Hallows is love :D


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